Forgiveness
by Ash'sOnlyLove
Summary: It's been seven years since Misty has seen Ash, and since then she has moved on with Gary. He treats her like a queen, and she loves him, but there's a part of her that still loves Ash, even though he hurt her. When tragedy strikes, can Ash be there for Misty? Or is he too late to rekindle what they lost years ago? Pokeshipping. Rated M for lemon.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey Guys!**

**So here's the first suggested story!**

**I originally was going to do a oneshot, but I thought the overall length and how I wanted to break it up would have to be done in multiple chapters. So this may turn out to be 3 – 5 chapters.**

* * *

**MPOV**

_I was engulfed in warmth. Heat radiating, warming me to my core, making me smile. The encompassing arms tightened before releasing me, brown eyes twinkling down._

"_You know I'm kidding Mist," Ash laughed, bumping me lightly with his hip as we continued down the path into the Pokémon Center. After handing over our Pokémon to Nurse Joy, we took a seat at one of the tables and pulled out containers full of food._

"_Where's Brock?" I asked, looking around the room. Usually he'd be flirting endlessly with Nurse Joy._

"_Maybe there's an Officer Jenny ouside," Ash laughed, and I smiled. His raven hair fell in his eyes and I reached across the table to brush it out of his eyes._

_His gaze caught and held mine. Reaching across the table, his fingers found mine, weaving. I looked down, blushing._

"_Mist?"_

_I looked up to Ash through my bangs. Mimicking my earlier action, he brushed the red locks out of my face._

"_Mist, I—" he was cut off by a nearby phone going off. I glanced over at the screen, it was for me._

_I looked back at Ash, opening my mouth to speak, but he just cut me off._

"_Go answer it," he smiled, "we'll have tons of time after."_

_I squeezed his hands before sitting at the phone and answering the call. My three sisters appeared on screen, all smiling happy faces._

"_Like, hey sis!" they squealed together. I sighed, it was never fun for me when I was dealing with my sisters._

"_What is it?" I groaned, rolling my eyes._

"_Like, don't roll your eyes at us," Daisy pouted, crossing her arms._

_I sighed, "Get to the point guys."_

"_We're girls," Daisy grumbled before Violet silenced her._

"_We've been invited to go on tour! Taking the act around the globe!" she squealed, ecstatic, "which means you're going to have to come back and run the gym li'l sis!"_

_My stomach dropped in dread, _leave Ash and Brock?

"_But—"_

"_No buts Misty," Lily cut me off, "we sent a car for you, it should be outside the Pokémon Center right now. Get in and we'll see you later tonight!"_ Click.

_Standing up, I turned around to come face to face with Ash._

"_I'm so sorry Ash," I started, "they—"_

"_I know Misty," he sighed, looking down. _

_I closed my eyes, willing the tears to not fall when I felt a set of warm lips on my cheek. I stilled, relishing in the tingling feeling in my stomach before I opened my eyes._

"_What was that for?" I asked. Ash just smiled a small smile before taking my hand and leading me out to the car. Opening the door for me, he helped me into the seat._

"_See you soon?" I asked. Ash nodded, closing the door._

_A lone tear trailed down my cheek as the driver pulled away._

* * *

I groaned and rolled over, refusing to open my eyes.

I hated that dream.

Every time I had it, waking up was a nightmare. Not only did I have to relive that moment, it was one of those dreams that I just couldn't forget. It plagued my thoughts until I could suppress the memory.

I sighed, reaching my hands out to find the back of a warm body. Smiling, I wrapped my arms around his neck from behind and pulled my body to his.

The body stirred, rolling over suddenly and pinning me beneath his weight. He began to nuzzle my neck, his stubble scratching my neck, tickling me. I laughed uncontrollably.

"Stop!" I screamed, laughing, "stop please!"

He laughed, capturing my lips with his own and kissing me. I smiled into the kiss before breaking away. Looking up into his dark eyes my heart swelled, so I kissed him again, chastely.

"I love you Mist," he rumbled, rolling onto his side and pulling my body flush against his.

"I love you too Gary," I whispered.

Pulling away, I wrapped the bed sheet around my small frame and walked into the bathroom. Letting the sheet drop, I pulled back the shower curtain and ran the water.

Stepping into the stream, I let the warmth loosen my tense muscles and my stressed thoughts.

It had been seven years since Ash led me out of that Pokémon center and into that car that took me back home. Seven years since I had seen his face, or heard his voice, or felt his body next to mine.

Seven years since I left the man I loved behind to be a gym leader against my will.

I loved Ash, I still do, and something tells me I always will.

He had never called, or wrote. I hadn't seen him since that day.

_What was he going to tell me that day anyway?_ I thought.

My thoughts were disturbed by the curtain opening, and a _very_ undressed Gary pulling me to him.

"Gary!" I squealed, "I'm showering!"

He laughed, "Nothing I haven't seen before," he lured in my ear and I shuddered, "many times."

I breathed out lowly, my lower stomach burning.

"Gary you keep that up we won't be standing for much longer," I whispered. I immediately felt a growing hardness against my lower stomach.

"Good," he rumbled, pushing me up against the wet tile and pulling my thighs up to wrap around his waist.

_Oh god, _I moaned internally, spreading my arms along the walls as he kissed my neck.

_I love this._

* * *

"Starmie! Use rapid spin!"

"Star!"

Starmie began to spin into a blur and rushed at the Chikorita directly across from it. Wounded previously by Psyduck, Chikorita didn't move out of the way quickly enough and collapsed, exhausted.

"Chikorita is unable to battle, Misty wins the match!"

I ran to Starmie, hugging her close.

"Good job Starmie," I smiled before setting her down and walking up to the young trainer.

"Good match," she sighed, looking down. I could tell she felt defeated and really wanted this water badge.

"You have a strong bunch of Pokémon," I smiled at her, "I can tell they love you very much."

Glancing up at me, her blue eyes twinkled, "You think so?"

I nodded, "Lots of trainers' Pokémon battle because they have to. Very few times have I ever seen a trainer with Pokémon who battle because they love their trainer and want to make them proud. They aren't just Pokémon to you are they?" I asked.

She shook her head, "They're my best friends, especially Chikorita."

The little girl looked at her leaf-headed friend.

"Chiko!" the small Pokémon exclaimed, rubbing up against her leg.

"You have a relationship with your Pokémon that it just beginning," I encouraged, "and your bond with them is going to be the reason why you will win countless matches."

"Really?" she looked at me with hopeful eyes.

"I look forward to the day you come back and beat me and my Pokémon—" I was cut off by her hugging me.

"Thank you Miss Waterflower," she squealed before looking down to her Pokémon, "come on Chikorita, let's go battle to get even stronger!"

The little Pokémon followed after it's trainer out the door of the gym. I flashed back to a vision of Ash doing the exact same thing when he was younger. She was a little Ash in the making.

_Does he have kids?_ I wondered.

Two arms wrapped themselves around my waist, and I leaned back into the embrace.

"When we were that age, did you ever think this is where you would be at 22?" he asked.

"Never," I whispered, turning around and wrapping my arms around his neck. "But am I ever glad I am here."

I leaned in to kiss him but was interrupted by a knock at the door. Groaning, I pulled back, pouting.

"Later," he whispered seductively, before disappearing into the back Pokémon training room.

I shuffled my way to the front door, grumbling the whole way.

"Interrupts me in the middle of trying to kiss my boyfr—" I stopped dead in my tracks at the person in the doorway.

"Long time no see Misty," he smiled, "way to disappear on me like that."

A grin broke out across my face, "Brock!"

I threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck as he spun us around in circles. Laughing, he put me down, getting a good look at my face.

"Wow," he breathed, "you look gorgeous."

"Thanks Big Bro," I smiled.

Brock had always been like the big brother I never had. We had kept in touch for a few years after I had left before I didn't hear from him for awhile. I never knew why he had stopped calling ,but I knew I would see him again.

"It's so good to see you," I pulled him into the gym, closing the door behind him. Walking through the front hall, I led him into the kitchen to make some coffee.

"You too," he laughed, "how have you been?"

Pouring some grounds into the expresso machine, I began to recount the past few years of my life to him.

I had started dating Gary around 3 years after leaving them on the road. He had showed up at my gym coming back from his journey. He had discovered he would rather train Pokémon than battle all the time and become a master. Over the years he had really matured and had dropped the whole act he put on for others.

We had taken it slow because he knew how I felt about Ash. But as the time passed where Ash wasn't there, it was easier and easier to forget about him, and I loved being with Gary.

I had made renovations to the Gym and had begun looking for a replacement. Gary and I were thinking we wanted to move to a place where we could both have careers we loved and where we could possibly start a family in the future. We were nowhere near engagement, marriage, or kids, but it was something we'd brought up and wanted to consider being in a good position for.

"So if you know anyone that would be interested who would do this place justice, let me know," I finished. Pouring two cups, I set a mug down in front of Brock and pulled out the chair opposite him.

"What about you?" I asked, "what have you been up to since the last time you called me?"

He started with being on the road with Ash. Ash had thrown himself into becoming a Pokémon master after I left. He ate, breathed and slept it. It was all he would do and talk about, and if the subject of me came up, he would leave.

"Last time I was with him, he was in the finals of a major league, on his way to becoming a Pokémon master," he finished.

"Last time you saw him?" I asked, quizzically. "What do you mean?"

Brock cocked his head at me, "I haven't seen Ash in a few years. I had to go back to Pewter City to man the gym and take care of my family. They were having troubles and I couldn't stay on the road anymore. May and Max are back with him now, and Dawn left with Paul."

My eyes widened, "When was the last time you heard from him?"

Brock opened his mouth, then closed it again.

"I actually have no idea."

My stomach dropped, _is he okay?_

"Hey Brock."

My head snapped around to Gary's frame in the doorway. He nodded to Brock and walked to the cupboards, pulling out a mug for himself. Brock stood, still a good head taller than Gary. He set himself so he took on a towering presence.

"Hey Gary," he said lowly, "you been treating Misty well?"

I stood up and wedged myself between them. Gary repositioned me next to him with his arm around my waist.

"She is the most amazing woman," Gary smiled down at me, then glanced back to Brock, "I don't think I could even begin to treat her the way she deserves. But I'm sure as hell trying."

I looked up to Gary, a grin plastered on my features. He kissed me softly before breaking away and walking back out of the kitchen.

"You're happy?" Brock asked, gaze fixed on the doorway Gary walked out of.

"The happiest I've been in years," my gaze mirrored Brock's before I turned back to him. Taking two steps forward, I wrapped my arms around his waist.

"I'm really glad you're here," I mumbled into his shirt. His arms settled around my shoulders, pulling me close.

"I'm glad to be here." He rested his cheek on the top of my head. We stayed like this for a few moments before pulling away and walking out into the gym with our cups.

"How about a tour?" I asked, leading Brock into the main hallway.

"I'd like that."

* * *

Gary and I were happy to have Brock around for the next few days. We showed him around, had him as a guest gym leader, anyone who could beat the both of us got both badges. We trained our Pokémon together, battled each other—we tied, can't wait for a rematch—and overall just caught up.

When it was time for Brock to get back, I had to keep myself from crying.

"I'm going to miss you Brock," I mumbled, hugging him tight.

"Come visit Pewter Gym soon," he stated, pulling back to look at me, "you'll find a leader replacement soon, and when you do, I really hope you'll come visit."

"Count on it," I voiced, blinking back tears.

He waved once more before walking down the path. Closing the door behind him I sighed, sad to see him go. Two arms wrapped themselves around me.

"You'll see him again before you know it Misty," Gary told me, holding me close.

"I know," I sighed.

_Doesn't make it hurt any less._

* * *

"_Merry Christmas Ash."_

_"Merry Christmas Misty."_

_We stood in his living room, surrounded by Pokémon, our families and friends. I hadn't been this happy in a long time, and couldn't get enough of this celebration._

"_Do you ever think about the future Mist?" Ash asked out of the blue._

_Looking over to my raven-haired friend I looked at him confused, "Sometimes, why?"_

"_I don't think I'll like the day where we aren't together on the road anymore."_

_My eyebrows came together in confusion, "What makes you think we won't be together on the road?"_

_Ash sighed, glancing down at me. I could see the dread and pain in his eyes at thinking about this. We walked into the kitchen to get some more eggnog as we spoke._

"_I'm so used to everything good in my life being ripped away from me Misty," he confessed, "and you're one of my best friends along with Brock. With my track record, at some point, we aren't going to be able to be together on the road. I don't know how I'm going to feel about that."_

_His back was to me, and my heart was aching for him. I wrapped my arms around him from behind, resting my forehead against his back._

"_That'll never happen Ash," I whispered, pulling him tight. He turned around, polling my front to his, resting the bridge of his nose on the top of my head. _

_Over the years, he had grown up from the scrawny kid that first stole my bike. From all the walking and hiking, we had all become extremely fit. From training with his Pokémon and overall growth, Ash had shot up, he was only a few inches below Brock's 6'3 frame. He wasn't even done growing yet, we were only 15._

"_I hope not," I thought I heard him say._

_Pulling him back over to the living room, we stopped when we heard Ash's mom._

"_Mistletoe!"_

_My head snapped up to the top of the doorframe that I was standing under with Ash. We just stared at each other, then turned away, blushing._

"_Come on you guys! It's the rules!" Brock teased. _

"_Oh I don't know Brock, I mea—" I was cut off by Ash catching my chin and capturing my lips._

_The feeling that appeared in the bottom of my stomach at that simple contact made me weave my fingers up his chest and into his hair as he kissed me._

_I was faintly aware of whistles in the background but ignored them as Ash kissed me, igniting a fire in my veins I had never experienced before._

_When we finally broke away, I looked into Ash's eyes as what we had done finally settled into my brain._

Crap,_ I thought, blushing._

_Ignoring the cheers and cat calls, I made my way back to Brock, ignoring the voice in my head telling me what my heart wanted._

* * *

That was another dream that plagued me when I thought of Ash. I could never get that moment out of my head, and nobody could really drop that situation after it had occurred. But over the years it was mentioned less, though I knew it wasn't forgotten.

I tried harder and harder to forget, but the more I was talking to Brock, the more I thought of Ash and the more these dreams plagued my unconscious mind. They were even beginning to make their way into my daydreams.

I tried to forget.

For the next few months Brock and I stayed in contact. Whether it was through calls, or letters, we made sure we didn't lose contact again. He had gone back, most of his siblings were old enough to start on their own Pokémon journeys and he was having a hard time letting them go. He was their brother, but had raised them and took on a very strong fatherly role, it was hard for him to not worry about them.

I continued to battle new trainers until one girl came in who was an extremely advanced trainer. She defeated me by one Pokémon, and even then I had a hard time keeping up. Water against water was never easy, and I spoke to her afterwards about taking over the gym. She was ecstatic and revealed she was sent by Brock.

"He told me you were looking for someone to take over so you could move on," she explained, "I love water Pokémon, and I've always wanted to be a gym leader, so I came here to show you what I can do."

I laughed, "Well consider yourself hired."

After that, I had helped her get settled in, Gary and I had packed up our things, and we moved on the road.

Being on the road again after so many years gave me a sense of relief. It was what I knew best, it's where I felt most at home. I absolutely loved it.

Gary weaved his fingers through mine, squeezing my fingers, "Feel weird?"

"Hm?"

"Being on the road again after so long?"

A grin broke out over my face, "How is it you know exactly what's on my mind?"

He just kissed me.

"No," I answered, "it just feels like I never left."

We had been walking for a few days when we came upon a familiar sign. The name made me smile, and house vacancy signs lined the town.

"What would you think about moving back to my hometown with me?" he asked, pulling me close.

"I'd love to," I laughed, taking his hand and walking past the _Welcome to,_ sign.

_Welcome to Pallet Town._

* * *

**I promise Ash is coming in soon!**

**Review and let me know what you think so far?**

**Thanks!**

**Hanna**


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright, so I know you guys have been talking about what I'm going to do with Gary, so I'll let you know right now, **_**HE IS NOT GOING TO GO PSYCHO!**_

**I've read as well as written stories where he's the antagonist, and I know there are a lot out there, but I'm not doing that this time.**

**Nobody is going to go crazy, Gary is not the bad guy, this isn't going to be a viscious love triangle.**

**This still is a Pokeshipping fic, it just wont be at the expense of Gary being evil.**

**I would also like to talk about Misty still loving Ash. I never said she was still 'in love' with him. I bet you all can think of someone you fell for, or had feelings for that you still care about years later. That's the way Misty is feeling right now.**

**Now that I have clarified, thank you all for your reviews, they make me smile :)**

**- H**

* * *

**MPOV**

_I stood by the lake, fingering the ring on my necklace. _

_Three stones decorated the silver band. One blue topaz in the middle surrounded by a diamond and garnet. The moonlight glinted through the gems, creating rainbows and sparkles over my skin._

_Sighing, I closed my eyes._

"_Misty?"_

_I opened my eyes and turned around to see Ash walking towards me. A small smile formed on his features when I met his gaze, and I mirrored his expression._

"_Hey Ash."_

_He climbed down a few rocks before sitting in the sand next to me, watching the waves. I relished in the crashing of the water, the smell of the rain from the night before, the echo of a Lapras filling my ears. I exhaled in a gust, trying to find peace._

"_Can I see?"_

_I looked over to Ash who was gesturing to the ring around my neck. I looked down and carefully pulled the chain up over my head and rested the ring in his palm before dropping the chain in a pile._

_Ash examined the ring, the rainbows now dancing across his skin. He glanced up at me, his eyes asking the question his intuition told him not to._

"_It was my mother's," I voiced, explaining, "my father left us when I was little. After he did she swore to me she would never leave me alone._

"_I've been abandoned by so many people Ash," I sighed, crossing my arms on my knees and resting my chin on my forearms, "she promised me she wouldn't be one of those people._

"_But she did. I woke up one day, and she was gone. She left a note of course, telling me my sisters would take care of me. The ring was sitting on top of the note. She left no reason, she just disappeared._

"_I keep it with me to remind me of what I deserve," my voice hardened. I looked over to Ash who was gazing at me with sympathy._

"_I may come across as a bitch Ash, but I have a good heart. I would never do anything serious to hurt someone else the way I've been hurt. I deserve someone who will treat me well, and won't leave me the way everyone else in my life seems to have." I stood up and brushed the sand off my shorts._

_Offering my hand to Ash, I pulled him to his feet. He held the necklace by the chain, separating the sides, and gently placed it over my head and back around my neck. His fingers left a burning tingling trail where he smoothed out the links._

_I set the ring on my sternum before glancing back up into the brown eyes above me. Ash opened his arms, and I walked into them, wrapping my arms around his torso._

"_I will never leave Misty," he whispered, holding me tighter._

_A serene smile ghosted over my lips, "Me neither Ash."_

* * *

"Come on Gary, we gotta find a house today."

We were rolling up our sleeping bags from camp last night and packing everything back up. The nice thing about this region, was houses came fully furnished with all appliances. The only thing you needed to bring when you moved homes were your personal belongings. It wasn't hard to pack up all of my things, there were very few things that were special to me, all I really needed was on two legs with brown hair next to me.

And my Pokémon.

Walking into Pallet brought back so many memories, and I smiled as I recounted them all. It had been awhile since I had been back here, and I was looking forward to living here. I'd always loved this town.

We stumbled across a stunning blue and white house that was only a few blocks from Professor Oak's place. I knew after so long, Gary would want to be close to his grandfather.

"We should check it out," I suggested, "we're only a few blocks from your grandfather, and I know how much you've been missing him."

Gary's fingers weaved through mine as his eyes bore down at me, "God I love you."

We walked up to the mailbox and pulled out our Pokédexes.

"House available for permanent occupancy. Please enter personal security code for claim of ownership."

Gary and I entered our codes, and keys were dispensed from the mailbox. Carefully setting them within our Pokédexes, we made our way up to the front door and entered the house.

It was absolutely stunning. The living room was set up with an L-shaped couch and coffee table. There was a large tv, and the carpet was a rich auburn colour. The walls were a light violet hue and paintings of various landscapes decorated the walls.

The kitchen had smooth granite countertops and a beautiful marble wood. The dining table was a beautiful oak with a deep finish. The stairs were to the right of the front foyer and we made our way upstairs.

There was a bathroom on the left and four other doors. One had towels, a washing machine and dryer. Another was the upstairs bathroom, and the other two were bedrooms. One was clearly for a child, the other was the master bedroom with a king size bed.

We walked into the master bedroom. After a few days on the road in sleeping bags, we were exhausted. I dropped my pack and flopped down on the bed, all my air escaping my lungs.

"You can't sleep quite yet my dear," Gary lured, climbing next to me.

"And why is that?" I teased, rolling over.

"We have to christen the bed," he whispered, pulling me on top of him.

"That we do," I whispered against his lips before kissing him.

* * *

"_Fresh stew!" Brock announced. _

_Ash immediately bounded up from where he was fishing, dropped his pole, and sprinted over to the campsite. _

_Rolling my eyes, I walked over to where he was not two seconds earlier, put his pole where it wouldn't be crushed or stolen, and picked up a sleeping Pikachu._

"_Pikapi?" the small mouse Pokémon said groggily._

"_No, it's me Pikachu," I whispered, holding him gently, "go back to sleep."_

"_Pikachpi," the small Pokémon voiced before sighing a small sigh and falling back asleep in my arms._

_I loved to watch Pikachu. This little Pokémon was part of what started this whole journey, and I couldn't help but love him. He was protective of those he loved, and always wanted to make sure they were okay. I had bonded with the little mouse over the years, and he had begun to think of me as a mother figure._

_Glancing back at Ash's pole one last time, I noticed why he wasn't catching anything._

_His lure sucked._

_Cradling the sleeping animal, I walked back to the camp to a bowl of stew waiting for me. I took a seat on the large rock and set Pikachu on my lap. The little thing curled up tighter in a ball, nuzzling its way into my stomach. My heart melted as I picked up my spoon and began eating._

"_God," I moaned, "Brock this is amazing."_

_Ash mmhm'd in agreement. He couldn't say anything since he kept on stuffing his mouth full. I laughed at the picture. You'd think he wouldn't have eaten in days when it had only been a few hours._

"_Slow down there Ash, you'll choke," I joked._

_Not two seconds later Ash was wide-eyed and clutching his throat. My heart dropped, and Brock and I jumped out of our seats. Pikachu barely avoided being dropped on the ground when I lunged for Ash. He glared at me before realizing what was happening to Ash and bounding up beside us._

"_Ash!"_

_He started laughing, swallowing what was in his mouth._

"_You should have seen the looks on your faces," he forced out between periods of laughter, "that was priceless."_

_I brought my hand up and slapped him across the face._

_Hard._

"_Don't you _ever_ do that again!" I yelled, panting heavily._

"_I'm gonna have to agree with Misty on this one Ash," Brock sighed in relief, "joking about that sort of thing isn't something you do."_

"_Sorry guys," he laughed, "I just couldn't resist."_

_I slapped him on the chest, "Never again."_

"_Why Misty? Would you miss me or something?" he joked._

_That shut me up._

_Why did I care so much?_

* * *

"Ready to go?" Gary asked, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist.

I lifted my arms up to the back of his neck, swaying back and forth, "You bet."

Taking his hand, we walked down the stairs and slipped our feet into our shoes. Walking out the front door, we locked the deadbolt before continuing down the road.

"Excited?" I asked, looking up at Gary.

"Ecstatic," he answered, squeezing my hand. His eyes found the familiar building and we walked up the driveway, our pace quickening the closer we got.

He pushed the doorbell and we stood there waiting until the door swung open.

"Gary! Misty!"

Professor Oak looked very much the same, with his usual grin plastered on his face. He pulled Gary and then me into a hug, swinging us from side to side enthusiastically.

"Not letting your age get to ya are you old man?" Gary joked, beaming. He'd always had a better relationship with his grandfather as the years progressed. They'd grown closer as Gary matured.

"Only as young as I feel, and I'm feeling great," he answered before a Muk came and swallowed him up.

"_Muk!_" the Pokémon exclaimed before moving away from the professor. Gary and I laughed at his now muddy state.

"I was just about to go out too," he groaned, peeling his lab coat off his body. "Not going to happen any time soon. Come on in guys, make yourself at home while I go get cleaned up."

We followed Professor Oak and took a seat on the couch.

"Where are you off to?" I asked.

"I've been invited to dinner at an old friend's house, you're welcome to come if you want, I'm sure she'd be glad to see you!"

I looked over to Gary who nodded.

"We'll come with you," he answered.

When we heard the shower sound, I straddled Gary, sitting on his lap.

"What're you doing Mist?" he asked, eyeing me skeptically. I smirked and wrapped my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck.

"Nothing," I drawled, "why do you ask?"

Gary just leaned forward and let out a low growl in my ear. That coupled with his stubble scratching my cheek and neck made me shudder. I let out a low moan.

"Two can play that game Misty," he rumbled before pulling back and kissing me once chastely. He then proceeded to move me off his lap and avoid all contact with me.

This caused a growl of my own to escape my lips, "Douche."

He just laughed and weaved his fingers through mine.

"I have something I want to talk to you about later tonight," he said, I vaguely acknowledged the water shutting off.

"Oh?"

"It's nothing bad, I promise," he reassured me.

"Okay then," I raised an eyebrow at him, _what's he thinking?_

A few minutes later Professor Oak emerged, freshly showered and clothed.

"Let's go," he smiled, "and while you're here, feel free to exchange or take as many of your Pokémon as you'd like."

"We will Professor," I stood up, pulling Gary with me. We all walked back out the front door, further down the street. There was something in the back of my mind that was trying to tell me something, but for the life of me I couldn't seem to let it out.

It wasn't until I saw a woman gardening that I realized where we were going.

"Misty!"

I huge grin broke out over my face as I dropped Gary's hand and ran to the woman. Her arms pulled me into a hug and I couldn't stop smiling.

"It's good to see you Mrs. Ketchum," I told her, smiling.

"Delia dear," she beamed, brushing some hair out of my eyes, "you have grown so much. It's so good to see you." She pulled me back in for a hug before releasing me. I felt fingers reclaim my hand and saw Gary beside me in my peripheral vision.

"How have you been?" I asked, following her inside. The house was exactly the same as it was the last time I was there.

"I've been doing well dear," she sighed, pulling off her gardening gloves, "just missing Ash is all. And yourself?"

I smiled up at Gary, "Never been happier. I just hired a trainer for the gym so Gary and I could move into town."

Delia turned and looked at me wide eyed, "You moved in?"

I nodded fiercely and she quickly hugged me again.

"You know I've always thought of you as a daughter Misty," I heard her sniff, "I'm so glad you've moved here."

I tightened my hold on her, "You really took on a mother role for me Delia after my mom left. I'm so grateful for that."

I felt her face shift, "It's good to see you again too Gary."

"You too Mrs. Ketchum."

"Delia please," she repeated, "Mrs. Ketchum makes me feel old."

"You don't look a day older than 30 Delia." I could hear the smile in Gary's voice as I pulled back from Delia but kept my arm around her waist.

"Let's go set the table for an early dinner," she smiled, guiding me by her arm into the kitchen.

We all walked into the kitchen and dispersed for various jobs. As Delia finished off the cooking pot by pot, Gary and I found plates, napkins and cutlery, setting the table. Professor Oak took the finished pots, found hotplates, and set them on the table with spoons. I grabbed serving spoons and was about to grab some placemats when the phone rang.

"Can you get that Misty?" Delia asked, and I sprinted to the phone.

"Brock!" I exclaimed, "how are you!?"

His teeth shone against his russet skin, "I've been doing really well Misty. I haven't heard from you since you said you were moving. I got wind that you'd moved back to Pallet, so I've been calling around trying to find you."

A Nurse Joy passed by Brock in the background and a chuckle escaped my lips.

"What?" he questioned.

"Nurse Joy just walked behind you and you didn't even flinch," I laughed. His head snapped up to where I assume Nurse Joy now was and I could see the restraint it took for him to stay on the phone with me.

"There are more important things," he forced out, muscles clenching the bench he was on.

I smiled, "What do you need Brock?"

"I was just making sure I knew where you were. I'm a town away from Pallet and wanted to come visit you guys again," he began packing a few of his things up.

"That'd be great!" I looked to the kitchen. Delia was standing in the doorway nodding to me.

"Delia would love for you to be here, and the Professor would be happy to see you again I'm sure." I was surprised the words didn't come out in a rush.

"See you later tonight then," Brock concluded before ending the call. I shot back up and walked back to the kitchen.

"Brock will be here later tonight," I beamed, resuming my previous task. A chorus of happy phrased echoed through the kitchen before we all sat down to dinner.

Mashed potatoes, peas, carrots, steak, chicken soup, and apple crisp lined the table. Rice was also there along with some shepards pie and stew. I couldn't believe all the food that was here, and I was even more surprised when the four of us managed to eat almost all of it.

Groans echoed through as Mr. Mime entered the room. I assume he had been sleeping and that's why I hadn't seen him.

"Mr. Mime, can you take care of the dishes while we go and relax in the living room?"Delia asked sweetly, "I don't think we can take much movement after all that food"

"Mime!"

We all got up carefully, and trudged into the living room, flopping down on the couches. Gary and I took the loveseat, while Professor Oak and Delia took opposite sides of the couch, sprawling as much as much as the limited amount of space would allow.

"That was so good," I moaned, rubbing my bloated stomach. Leaning back against Gary, I was careful not to put too much pressure on his torso, he ate more than I did.

"I'm going to have to say that's the best food I've had in ages," Gary agreed.

"This is why I eat here," Professor Oak sighed content.

"You're all so sweet," Delia whispered, obviously exhausted. After cooking for hours, gardening, and not to mention filling up on a huge meal had to take its toll on the human body.

"Maybe we should all open up a restaurant," I mumbled absently, "I can bake desserts."

Delia seemed to wake up at that, "You know Misty, that's not a bad idea."

I opened on eye to glance at her, "You think so?"

"I've always wanted to do something like that, ever since I was a little girl," she recounted, "and with some support and helping hands, I think we could actually do it!"

I smiled, "I'd love to be a part of it with you."

"I'd love for you to," she smiled back at me.

"What do you think Gary?" I mumbled, rolling over onto his stomach. His heart sounded beneath my ear and I felt myself in the beginning stages of falling asleep.

"I think we should all open up a restaurant together," he whispered, equally as exhausted. The days of travelling coupled with the excitement of moving in and the endorphins that were flushing our systems were getting to all of us. I was about to drift off when I remembered something.

"Gary, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" I asked.

"Tomorrow," he mumbled.

I was suddenly more awake, "Come on Gare, please tell me."

He sat up, stretching his arms above his head before dropping to his knees on the carpet. He fished around in his pockets before pulling out a closed fist.

"Mist," he began, "when I walked back into your life, I knew you were something special. As kids I know I didn't treat you very well, but I think I've managed to redeem myself over the years. You make me the happiest I've ever been in my entire life, and I'm happy to say you're my best friend as well as my girlfriend. I couldn't imagine a life without you, and all I will ever want to do is make you happy, whatever that shall be."

He opened his palm to reveal a stunning solitary diamond embedded in a platinum band.

"Marry me Misty," he breathed.

Stunned into silence all I could do was stare at him. A million things were going through my mind when he wanted to talk, but nothing like this.

Before I knew it, a grin had spread over my face.

"Yes."

Gary's smile was the biggest I've ever seen as he slid the ring onto my finger.

"Yes, yes, oh _god _yes!" I stage whispered at I flung my arms around him. I heard him chuckle in my ear before he pulled back and kissed me deeply. I kissed him right back, the happiest girl in the world.

Gary resumed his place on the couch, and I laid my left hand over his heart, marvelling at the new meaning there was coming from the ring on my finger. His heart beat resumed normal and I closed my eyes in contentment.

We were about to drift off when a knock sounded at the door.

"You get it," I heard Delia mumble.

"Gary, get the door for your grandpa," Professor Oak managed to grumble out before snores.

"I casnoidn..." Gary trailed off, a soft snore escaping his lips.

Groaning, I got up off my very comfy very warm pillow to answer the door.

"Brock we were sleeping," I groaned, opening my eyes to meet a chocolate brown pair.

"Hey Mist," he smiled, a huge grin plastered on his face.

That grin that would normally make my heart melt just made me angry. That smile that looked like a cocky grin to me fuelled a rage inside of me that wasn't going to remain contained. So I decided to let it out for once.

The first time I saw Ash in seven years, I wiped that annoying grin right off his face.

I slapped him.

Hard.

* * *

**Alrighty, chapter 2! Done!**

**Review and let me know what you think so far! :)**

**- H**


	3. Chapter 3

**Alright, I hope I clarified well, so here's the next installment. The thing you've all been waiting for…**

**MISTY GETTING PISSED OFF AT ASH!**

**YAAAAAY!**

**What I also want you to keep in mind, is the reason this hurts Misty so much. Yes, she was in love with Ash, but he was also her best friend. Think about how you would feel if your best friend stopped talking to you and had no communication with you for an extended period of time? You'd be hurt, you'd be angry. He was her best friend first, she fell for him second.**

**-H**

* * *

**MPOV**

_I refreshed my e-mail for the fiftieth time in the span of three minutes. Frustrated that my inbox was empty, I sighed._

"_Whatchya waiting for?" Ash asked, coming up from behind me to sit to my right._

"_An old friend of mine promised me she'd e-mail me, but she hasn't." I said softly, turning off the computer._

"_How long has it been since she e-mailed you last?" he asked, helping me to my feet as we went back to rejoin Brock on the road._

"_She disappeared on me about 8 months ago," I sighed, "and I know she's fine because I hear about her travels through our mutual friends. That's what annoys me the most."_

_Ash wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling my body to his, "She isn't worth your time then Misty."_

_I sighed, "I'm just tired of everyone treating me that way."_

"_Well," Ash drawled, "if it makes any difference I promise I will never disappear on you."_

_I looked up at him and smiled._

"_I'll hold you to that."_

* * *

He was wearing his signature black shirt and jeans, except now the shirt wasn't baggy at all. His hands were still sporting his traditional fingerless green gloves, and he was still wearing his hat. His jacket was absent, but more noticeable than that was his lack of Pikachu on his shoulder.

Of course I noticed all of this after I slapped him. I faintly wondered where Pikachu was, despite my anger towards Ash, I still missed the little Pokémon.

Speaking of Ash…

Ash moved his jaw back and forth, eyes closed, rubbing his cheek where a distinct red mark decorated his dark 5 o'clock shadow. He gave it a good rub before opening his eyes.

"Jeeze, the last time you did that was when I pretended to choke," he turned back to me, that smile still plastered on his face. Glancing back into the living room I saw everyone sleeping, so I stepped out onto the front porch, closing the door gently in spite of my anger.

"What are you doing here?" I growled, seething.

"I live here," he stated blatantly.

That left me dumbstruck for a second, I managed not to let it show in my features.

"I mean in Pallet." I crossed my arms in front of my chest, immobilizing my hands. I didn't want to do anything too stupid.

Ash just cocked his head to the side, clearly not following my train of thought.

"Brock hasn't heard from you in years," I began, "Professor Oak hasn't exchanged any of your Pokémon in months, your mother hasn't heard from you in forever, and not to mention me." I listed each of them off, just getting started.

"So tell me, Ash," I lured, "why after all this time would you choose _now_ to come back to Pallet town?"

I could see his face fall, and a part of me wanted to feel awful for pushing his buttons, but I just couldn't right now.

"Brock called me to check in on me," he started, "after he mentioned seeing you, he talked about how you were moving to Pallet town and letting someone take over the gym."

I didn't say anything. I just stood there waiting for him to continue.

"I missed you Misty," he sighed, defeated, "every day."

"Then why didn't you call or write me?" I asked.

"I couldn't."

That set me off.

"You couldn't," I repeated blandly. "You _couldn't!?_ You have _some_ nerve Ash to give me that excuse."

"I'm sorry Mis—"

"You're _sorry?_" I snarled, "what are you sorry for exactly Ash? Leading me into that car in the first place? Not asking me to stay? Or was it disappearing on me for _seven fucking years?!_ There is a lot you have to be sorry for Ash Ketchum, what exactly are you talking about?"

"I know I have a lot to be sorry for Misty," he whispered, twiddling his thumbs. He always did that when he was uncomfortable and had no idea what to say. Just because he had grown another few inches, put on a lot of muscle, and overall grown into an incredibly good-looking guy didn't mean he'd lost any of his old mannerisms.

"You _lied_ to me Ash," I whispered, I bit back the tears. "My best friend _lied to me._ Do you know how much that killed me to lose you?"

"Misty, I—"

"Save it Ash," I cut him off, "you fucked up. You disappeared on me after you _promised _me that you never would." I turned to go back in the house.

I felt a hand on my wrist, "Misty—"

I spun around.

"WHAT!?" I screamed at him, "what the _fuck _do you want from me Ash? You left me out of your life years ago, and I don't deserve that." I advanced on him, and he took a few steps back.

"I said it before, and I'll say it again," I fumed, "it took me a long time to realize who I was, and what I deserved. It took me a long time to accept myself, and find those who would accept me too, and in that process I discovered exactly what I deserve.

"I am an amazing person at heart. I don't deserve to be left behind, I don't deserve to be forgotten, I don't deserve to be lied to. You did all those things to me Ash. Someone who was supposed to care about me destroyed my sense of self. I don't know if I'll be able to forgive you for that." Tears threatened to spill but I bit my tongue.

Turning back to go inside the house Ash spoke his sentence.

"If you think I'm letting you out of my life again Misty, you're wrong." He said slowly, "I don't care how long it takes, I'm going to make it up to you."

I glanced behind me and my vision settled on his shoes.

"Good luck with that."

Just before I could Just before I could open up the door to re-enter the house, it flew open on its own, Gary standing in the doorway.

"You okay babe?" he asked, looking at me, "I heard shouting—" his sentence was cut short when his eyes laid on Ash.

I had always wondered what Gary would do if he ever saw his childhood rival again. My original thought would be them going right back into that 10 year old mindset where they absolutely despised each other. Then when I really got to know Gary, I re-evaluated my assumption and knew that he wouldn't say anything.

My assumption was right.

Gary fixed his gaze back on me again, "I'll go back inside and let you guys work this out."

"It's no problem Gary, I was coming in anyway—" Gary silenced me with a chaste kiss.

"You need to work this out with him," he said softly, "your anger is coming from a place of pain. You still care about him Misty, he was your best friend for 5 years. You can't just dismiss someone like that from your life."

"But—"

"You have every right to be angry," he raised a hand to my cheek, wiping away the lone tear that had managed to escape. "So be angry, but give him a chance eventually. If you hadn't given me a chance to explain myself after that one fight, we wouldn't be here today." I felt him twirl the ring on my left hand absently, and I knew what he was saying.

He disappeared back into the house, leaving me and Ash alone again. I looked back to Ash who had an awestruck expression on his face.

"You're with Gary?"

I just stared at him. I had to restrain myself from scoffing at his comment.

"He's different."

I didn't say anything.

"Misty come on," Ash sighed, "talk to me."

"I have nothing to say to you," I stated simply before following Gary back into the house.

* * *

_I love camping._

_Thousands and thousands of stars glinted across the night sky. The time of year it was and the area we were in, a large arm of a purple galaxy covered a good portion of the sky. It was absolutely stunning._

"_You ever think about being back home?"_

_I almost jumped._

"_Jeeze Ash," I flinched, "way to scare me."_

_I heard him roll over in his sleeping bag, "Sorry."_

_I laughed, "It's alright."_

"_So?"_

_I took a deep breath, "Sometimes," I admitted, "but I'd rather be here than there. What about you?"_

"_Naw," he said, "there's nothing back there for me. I love my mom, sure, but that's not where my life is right now."_

"_What, no friends back there?" I teased. My eyes widened at a shooting star that blazed across the sky._

"_Nope," he popped the 'p,' "to be honest, you and Brock are the only friends I really have." He trailed off at the end, embarrassment coating his words._

"_If we're being completely honest Ash," I said softly, "you and Brock are the only best friends I have."_

"_I have a hard time believing that," I could hear the smile in his voice._

"_It's the truth," I sighed. In the past few years, Ash had really become one of my only two best friends. I was relieved to hear he felt the same way._

"_Well I'm glad you're my best friend then Misty," he smiled, and I felt his hand on the outside of my sleeping bag. I managed to free my hand from the confines of the sleeping bag to weave my fingers through his._

"_I wouldn't have it any other way," he whispered._

* * *

I could hear muffled voices through the bathroom door. Brock had finally arrived and I could hear him catching up with him, Delia and Professor Oak. Gary even threw in a few sentences here and there, no malice in his voice. I couldn't believe it, I mean, I was proud of him, but he was completely fine with it.

_Because this is something you have to deal with on your own Misty,_ my inner voice echoed, _Gary isn't here to take sides, he's here to support you. All the others have probably already heard Ash out and know why he did what he did._

_**There's no excuse for what he did, **_I growled at the voice.

I had no romantic intentions towards Ash, but he was still one of the closest friends I have, and trusting him at all was a huge thing for me. He knew that.

So why did he leave?

And why would he come back acting like everything's fine?

A knock sounded on the door, "Misty? Are you okay?"

"Yeah Brock," I answered, flushing the toilet for effect, "I'll be out in a second."

Standing up from my 'seat' I ran the water, pressing my newly cold hands to my face.

_So be angry, but give him a chance eventually._

I exited the bathroom, walking back into the living room. Gary was still on the loveseat, and Ash now sat between Professor Oak and his mother. He was much broader than he was seven years ago and looked extremely squished and uncomfortable. Brock sat in the armchair opposite the loveseat.

I took a deep breath and sat next to Gary under his arm. He weaved his fingers through mine using his free hand and gave it a squeeze.

"We were just talking about your restaurant idea," Delia explained, "my little Ash even told us about a building." Her voice softened when talking about Ash as she looked over at him lovingly.

"Mom," Ash whined, "I'm 22. I'm not little anymore."

"Oh baby," Delia said softly, running her hands through his hair that was currently missing its signature hat, "you'll always be my little boy."

Ash rolled his eyes, hands fiddling with his hat in his lap.

"Where's Pikachu?" I blurted. I really missed the little guy.

"Pokémon Center," Ash explained, "little guy ran himself into the ground battling Team Rocket just before we got here."

"Oh my god," I groaned, "they're still after you?"

"Yup," Ash grumbled, "their plans just as stupid too."

I laughed involuntarily. My expression hardened again, my underlying anger wasn't going away that easily.

"Well," Delia sensed the tension and broke it, "if we were to actually open a restaurant would all of you want to be a part?"

I looked at Brock, "You have to be the master chef."

Brock smiled, "You know what? I think I will, my whole family is on the road catching Pokémon, so I have nothing else to do. I could even help customers with their Pokémon."

"Great idea Brock," Delia smiled, "you could even make some of your signature Pokémon food."

"Pikachu always loved it," Ash interjected.

"Pikachu was just like you Ash," Brock joked, "he'd eat anything and everything that was edible in sight."

I smiled a small smile at a memory of Pikachu shovelling Brock's homemade food in his little mouth. It had been one of the most adorable things I'd ever seen in my entire life.

"So what have you been up to Ash?" Gary asked, "anything interesting?"

"Well…"

I stood up at that and left the living room. I couldn't be in there another minute.

"I need to clear my head," I mumbled, walking out the side door.

I sat on the side porch for a good half hour, relaxing and breathing in the cold air. Once I felt calm enough to go back into the house, I did.

When I walked back into the living room, everyone was standing and hugging goodbye. It was getting dark and we all had to head back to our respective homes.

"You have a place to stay Brock?" Delia asked.

"I have a room at the Pokémon Center until I find a home with a lease," he answered, hugging her goodbye. Gary followed suit before standing next to his grandfather.

I walked up to Delia and pulled her into a hug, "Thank you so much for dinner, it was amazing."

"Thank you for being here and being you," she smiled, holding me at arm's length, "it was great to see you again after so long Misty. Please don't be a stranger."

"I wont," I smiled back. I then glanced over at Ash, and not saying anything, walked out the front door.

* * *

We spent the next month on the restaurant, developing recipes, helping with publicity, and hiring a trustworthy staff. I was a hostess and waitress, and even occasionally helped Brock in the kitchen. Brock trained aspiring chefs, but made sure his few secret recipes were finished off solely by him.

Ash and I had been making small talk, but I hadn't let it go any farther than that. I just wasn't ready to listen to him yet.

Pikachu had gotten out of the Pokémon Center a few days after Ash returned home. I still hadn't seen the small Pokémon yet, but I was looking forward to it. Ash was bringing him to the restaurant today.

"Why are you so sympathetic with him?!" I yelled at Gary. We had been talking about Ash again and I was getting a little ticked off with him.

"Because I know what it's like to be him," Gary explained calmly.

"What you did wasn't nearly as bad," I defended.

"It looked bad Misty," he rested his hands on my shoulders, pulling me to him, "I'm just glad you stopped to listen. If you hadn't you would have thought I was cheating on you."

"It was a pretty convincing stage kiss," I mumbled into his shoulder, hiding my blush.

"Hear him out Misty, and if you're not satisfied, then I won't bug you anymore. I'm not saying you don't have to be mad at him, it would take me a long time to get over something like this, but I'm saying you have the chance to get your friend back. I know how much he means to you," Gary smiled down at me and kissed me chastely.

"Fine," I mumbled.

Gary and I parted ways, him to his grandfathers to help him with his work, and me down to the restaurant. I was a few blocks from the building when I heard a voice from behind me.

"Pikachupi!"

I spun around to see a little yellow mouse Pokémon bounding towards me. A grin immediately plastered itself on my face as I dropped to my butt on the ground, spreading my arms for him. He bounded up my legs and into my chest knocking me backwards.

"Pikachu!" I hugged the little guy tight, "how are you?"

"Chaaa," he sounded, his usual word of contentment. I scratched between his ears and he let out a little sigh.

"I missed you," I laughed as he nuzzled his way under my arm.

"Pikachupi, pi pika!"

"He missed you too."

My head snapped up to see Ash and I immediately felt silly. Standing up with Pikachu I placed the Pokémon back in his usual spot on his owners shoulder.

"Oh so you speak Pokémon now do you?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

Ash sighed, "I'm not going to get through to you today am I?"

I just stood there.

"Tomorrow then maybe," he mumbled walking in the direction of the restaurant.

I immediately felt guilty. I had told Gary I would listen.

"Ash wait," I groaned. I turned around to see his form still.

"I have to go get some herbs from the forest. I have nothing else to listen to when I'm doing that. Might as well."

He turned to look at me.

"You're still mad at me." It wasn't a question.

"Oh yeah, that hasn't changed."

Ash looked at me for a moment longer.

"Okay."

He turned back to the restaurant, removing his Pokébelt. The great thing about the restaurant was we could let our Pokémon out there so they weren't alone in their Pokéballs all the time. I turned back toward the direction of the forest to find the herb I was looking for.

Walking down the designated trail to Ash could find me, I sighed. _What am I doing?_

I heard a rustle behind me.

"Not funny Ash," I called, picking another few leaves.

"Oh, so you and the twoip are back together huh?"

I spun around to see Meowth standing there.

"Oh god," I groaned, "not you guys again."

"I have to say," I heard from behind me, "we're surprised to see you after so many years."

I turned to my 4 o'clock to see Jesse.

"We'd thought you had taken off for good."

James appeared right behind her. I rolled my eyes.

"You know guys, by now I thought you would have given up. You aren't going to catch Pikachu, he's nowhere near here." I smirked.

"We know," Meowth drawled, man his voice was annoying, "we's just gowna cause a distraction so we can go get 'em from that restaurant of yours."

All three at the same time threw something at the ground. Within three seconds it exploded and sent me flying back down the hill I was on.

Saving my breath I covered my face with my hands as I rolled. I then spread my arms and managed to orient myself so I was sliding down the decline feet first, but by then it was too late.

I was at the edge of the cliff.

I quickly spun onto my stomach and tried to claw at something, but by then the grass had disappeared and all that was there were loose rocks that fell beside me.

"HELP!" I screamed as I slid over the edge of the cliff.

My hand managed to snag a large tree root poking out from the side of the cliff.

The rest of my body dangling, I weaved my fingers through each other around the root and held on tight.

"SOMEBODY HELP!"

I breathed heavily.

_I can't believe I'm back here again. _Tears flooded my eyes at the knowledge that nobody was here to save me this time.

Visions of the last time this had happened to me flashed through my mind, and as my fingers slipped and I fell, I screamed.

"ASH!"

* * *

**Alright, so I hope this chapter was okay. Misty isn't forgiving him completely yet, but if you were in her situation, for awhile you'd just be happy that person was back until that euphoria was up. The anger comes in flashes after that, and it takes awhile to get over.**

**Trust me, this type of this has happened to me…more than once unfortunately.**

**Anyway, let me know if I did alright, review please!**

**- H**


	4. Chapter 4

**So judging by this layout I've got down now, I'm looking at an 8 – 10 chapter story depending on how the lengths and endings come out. I hope you guys are alright with that, and I hope I can live up to your expectations.**

**Super sorry about the cliffie by the way. HA!**

**MAAAAAAJOR pun intended there =p**

**Anyway, here we go!**

**Chapter 4!**

**TO SUGGESTIONER!**

**Don't get too ahead of me yet :) trust me, mmkaii?**

* * *

**MPOV**

"_They should be here around a day, so come back tomorrow," Nurse Joy informed. Ash, Brock and I nodded, walking through the center to our rooms for the day._

"_They all deserve a really good rest for that one," I said to myself._

"_Definitely," Ash agreed. _

_When I looked around for Brock, I saw him bending over the center table making Nurse Joy a bit uncomfortable._

"_Oh Jesus Christ," I groaned, stalking back over there. I grabbed and twisted Brock's ear and dragged him with us back to the rooms._

"_You really gotta stop that Brock," I grumbled._

"_But she's just so beautiful," he said dreamily._

"_Yeah and so are all the other Nurse Joy's and Officer Jenny's," Ash said methodically. I don't know how many times we'd given the same speech to Brock, this had to have been the hundredth time by now._

"_But this one is the most beautiful yet!" he whined._

_I looked over to Ash who just gave me the same bored, unimpressed look._

"_Come on Misty," Ash rolled his eyes at Brock, "let's leave loverboy here to his antics."_

_I released Brock's ear and walked out of the Pokémon Center with Ash._

"_Every time," I laughed, "he never gets over it."_

_Ash laughed at that, "He hasn't found someone who really means something to him yet. That's why."_

_I glanced up to Ash to see him staring at me while he said that,_ huh?

"_Think he'd really change if he ever did?" I asked._

"_In a heartbeat."_

_By that time we were strolling in the forest. The leaves were starting to turn, and the colours were absolutely stunning. I bent down to pick up a multicolored leaf. The veins were a deep red, radiating into orange, yellow, and then green._

"_I love fall," I stated, echoing my thoughts._

"_Couldn't agree more."_

_We continued along the path, side by side. The leaves crunched under our feet, and the smell of fall radiated through the forest. _

_I loved the smell._

_We came out to a ledge then, and the view was absolutely amazing._

"_Ah crap," Ash groaned._

"_What?" I asked, redirecting my gaze._

"_I dropped my room key."_

_I laughed, "Same old Ash."_

_He glared at me playfully, "Oh yeah?"_

_I backed up, "Ash, don't you dare."_

_He stood back up straight again, laughing, "I'll be right back."_

_I turned back to the view. The canyon was absolutely stunning, especially with the weather changing. A rainbow of colour decorated the landscape from the brightest green you could imagine to the deepest and most pure red I'd ever seen._

_"Piiii," I heard from beside me._

_"Hello little Caterpie," I said absently._

_Wait._

CATERPIE!

_I screamed, jumping two feet away from the bug Pokémon causing me to slide down a small part of the cliff. My heart jumped into overdrive as I stayed perfectly still on the ledge I was currently situated on. As my heart slowed I turned around to see if I could climb back up._

_That's when the ledge crumbled._

_I managed to grab onto a groove in the side of the cliff, and found a small but way of support with my left foot._

"_Misty?" I heard Ash yell, sprinting back from the woods._

"_Ash!" I yelled, grateful for the few times we had been forced to go rock climbing by Brock. _It'll save your life one day,_ he'd always said._

_I would never live this down if he found out._

_The longer I held on, the weaker my fingers got._

_I looked up and saw Ash peering over the side of the ledge._

"_Hold on Mist!" he yelled to me._

"_No Ash!" I screamed back, "I was thinking that letting go would be the best idea!"_

_He just rolled his eyes at me before disappearing back over the edge._

"_Ash Ketchum I swear if you leave—"_

"_Oh shut up Misty I'm saving your life!"_

_I lost my foot hold and my fingers slipped another bit._

As I felt my fingertips the only things holding on I let out a gust of air in defeat.

"_ASH!" I yelled as my fingers lost their hold._

_But before I could fall at all, I felt Ash's hand catching my wrist._

_He had tied a vine around his torso and legs like a harness._

"_You're not going anywhere Misty," he smiled down at me, pulling me up into his chest. Wrapping his arms around my waist, he spun us around so I was lying on hit chest and could grip the vine._

_I stayed there for a minute while my heartbeat slowed._

_"Any time now Misty," he teased, "unless you like lying on top of me."_

"_A_SH!"

That's what flashed through my mind, and what I was thinking of when that escaped my lips for the second time.

And again, I felt a strong hand wrap itself around my wrist. I looked up to see the person who had caught me.

"Have you developed this as a habit?" Ash teased.

"Oh shut up."

But this time, there was no vine. I had dropped about a foot, and Ash was now hanging from the tree root I had just lost my grip on.

"So what now genius?"

He pulled me up so I could regain my hold on the root with both hands. He then fit me into his chest again by placing his hands on either side of mine.

"I need you to kick off my right shoe."

"Wh—"

"Just _do_ it Misty!"

He was getting anxious, which wasn't helping with my own pounding heart surging with adrenaline. I managed to kick off his shoe, and looked down to see holes in his sock.

"You and your holey socks," I mocked.

"These holey socks are about to save your fucking life," he retorted. Moving a few rocks out of the way on the cliff, he created a small hole, big enough for his big toe. His knee was bent at around a 45 degree angle.

"Now use my knee as a step and I'll push you back up over the edge."

I managed to worm my way up onto his knee, my balance off until I felt a hand on my ass.

"What the hell Ash!"

"I'm saving your life! That's what the hell! So shut up and let me!"

His tone had completely changed from his calm persistence to a frustrated anger as he held onto the root with one hand, balanced with his right foot and while doing all that managed to maneuver himself to push me back up over the side of the cliff.

Breathing hard, I found a small crevice to sit it so I could peer back over the cliff.

Ash was using his left hand to remove his other shoe and sock. Finding another small hole, he had a good grip on the side of the large rock. Using his free hand, he began to make new footholds so he could work his way back over the cliff.

But the root was about to rip out.

"Ash! Find a grip on the top of the cliff! The root is going to break!"

He calmly pulled himself up into a new set of foot and handholds at the exact same time the root ripped in two. Letting out a deep breath, he proceeded to climb back over the edge and lie face down, panting hard.

I crawled over to him, "You okay?"

"Peachy." He mumbled, getting onto his hands and knees too, "I'll feel better once we're back on grass."

Side by side we worked our way back up to the grass. When one of us would slip, the other would hold onto them while the rocks fell. Once the activity had stopped we would resume moving.

When we were on the edge and could grab a handful of grass, we immediately pulled ourselves up onto the field. Once it started to even out, Ash stood up, picked me up and swung me onto his back and started sprinting.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I yelled over the wind rushing through my ears. I locked my arms and legs around his neck and waist as he was careful to weave around and under through trees.

"When coming to find you I came across Team Rocket. They were laughing about something they had done. When I asked them what is was they told me they had done something that would give me a choice I had to make." He began.

"Huh?"

"They told me I could go back to the restaurant and save my Pokémon and family from them, or I could abandon that and save you who had fallen down the hill and was screaming for help."

The reality of what had just occurred set it.

_Ash was willing to take chances with his Pokémon for me?_

He was willing to take his chances with Pikachu.

"I just hope I'm not too late in getting back, so that's why you're on my back, I'll get back quicker if I don't have to worry about you being out of my sight."

Just before I could respond, we broke out of the trees and the steady decline of the road worked in our favor. Ash picked up speed, and as the restaurant came into view, we saw Team Rocket battling Brock and all of our Pokémon in the field behind the diner.

Ash skidded into the field, letting me down carefully before sprinting next to Brock and commanding his Pokémon. The battle was almost over anyway, but he ordered Pikachu and his Cindaquill to blast Team Rocket at the same time. They didn't stand a chance. The fire and electricity hit in such a way it created a small explosion.

"Team Rocket's blasting off agaaaaaaaaaain," we heard from the sky. Their signature lines were getting really old really fast.

It was then the adrenaline had stopped coursing through my veins and I began to feel my injuries. Looking down I was covered in scrapes, and there were a few tender tissue areas that would definitely have purple bruises tomorrow.

Blood was soaking through both knees of my pants, and there were a few deep gashes on my arms. I felt a few tiny scrapes on my cheek, but that was nothing compared to the gash on my hip that was bleeding profusely.

It wasn't deep enough to need stitches, but where it was happened to be right next to an artery. Not a major one, but one large enough to need pressure to stop the bleeding.

Ash made his way back over to me and led me into the restaurant. He sat me down in a chair and moved into the kitchen. Coming back with gauze, cotton swabs, a damp warm cloth, and rubbing alcohol he pulled up a chair and sat down in front of me.

And proceeded to cut my long jeans into shorts.

"Ash what the hell?"

"It's not like I haven't seen it before Misty," Ash's voice was monotone, as he looked up into my eyes "so just let me help you and stop complaining. I know you're mad at me, and I know it's going to be awhile before you forgive me. But I also know how much I missed you, and how much you must have missed me. I am so sorry Misty, and I will explain, but for now can you just shut up and let me help you!"

That shut me up.

Ash resumed cutting off my right pant leg. Rather than cutting them off around the thigh and sliding them down, he slit them up the side before cutting around my thigh. I hissed as he gently peeled the denim off and out of the scrape on my right knee.

"Sorry," he muttered, dabbing a cotton swab with rubbing alcohol. He grabbed my right hand with his free left, "This is going to hurt."

I was thankful for his hand as I squeezed in pain. The pain eventually diminished as he wiped the blood away with the disinfectant. Once he was satisfied it was clean, he freed his hand and smoothed a cotton pad over my knee before wrapping it in gauze.

He then pulled my right leg up onto his lap and began to wipe away the dirt and blood with the damp cloth. His raven hair fell in front of his face, and for the first time in a long time, I let myself miss him rather than be angry at him.

"I'm sorry," I muttered. His hand stilled on my leg.

"You have nothing to be sorry for Misty," Ash replied, finishing off the dirt on my right leg. He gently set my foot down on the floor and wrung out the cloth over a basin with clean water.

"I've been awful to you," I whispered.

"And you've had every right to be," he told me, cutting up my other pant leg. I hissed again as he peeled the denim out of the caked blood and dirt, he looked up at me with sympathetic eyes.

"I haven't even listened to you," I sighed, "Gary's kept nagging me about that."

"Misty," he wet another cotton ball and reclaimed my hand, "I don't think you'll be able to hate me more than I hate myself right now." I threw my head back as I hissed in pain and squeezed Ash's hand. I keeled over, panting as he wiped the blood, dirt, and gravel out of my knee.

"Uh," I groaned, "that one was bad."

"Sorry."

I could see how awful he felt, his eyes were always the easiest thing for me to read when it came to him.

"I don't hate you Ash," I told him, and he looked up at me.

"You should."

He released my hand and wrapped gauze over another cotton pad. Before he could, I lifted my own leg onto his lap. He reached for the cloth again and cleaned the blood from the few scrapes on that leg. He swiped a new soaked cotton ball over the scratches.

I placed my foot back on the ground as he slid his chair closer, reaching for my right arm. There were no deep cuts, just a few scrapes he cleaned the blood from and then swiped with rubbing alcohol.

As he went to work on my left arm's gash with the cloth, rubbing alcohol, cotton pads and gauze, I opened my mouth again.

"I'm angry," I started, sucking in my breath at the rubbing alcohol. It wasn't as bad as the first time, I was getting used to it.

"No," Ash said sarcastically, "really?"

I swiped him over the head gently, knocking his hat to the floor. He mock glared at me.

"Enough with the sarcasm Ash," I said annoyed, "I'm sorry for not listening to you, but you haven't listened to me either."

"Oh it's hard not to listen to you when you're screaming at me all the time," he growled.

"That's because you aren't listening—"

"I said it before, and I'll say it again," he started, and I stilled as he recited the words I had said to him about a month ago back to me.

"It took me a long time to realize who I was, and what I deserved. It took me a long time to accept myself, and find those who would accept me too, and in that process I discovered exactly what I deserve.

"I am an amazing person at heart. I don't deserve to be left behind, I don't deserve to be forgotten, I don't deserve to be lied to. You did all those things to me Ash. Someone who was supposed to care about me destroyed my sense of self. I don't know if I'll be able to forgive you for that."

I just stared at him slack jawed.

"Misty," he said softly, "I haven't been able to stop running over the words you've said to me since I got back. They echo through my mind, they haunt my dreams, and I am so angry with myself."

He wrapped my elbow and set it gently by my side. He then reached for a different clean cloth and leaned forward, rubbing his cloth-covered thumb over my cheek.

I couldn't look away from his eyes.

They were telling me everything he couldn't say. Sometimes I really hated words because they just weren't enough to explain something. This was one of those times.

I closed my eyes, relishing in the warmth of the cloth before he pulled it away. Before I could open my eyes I felt myself being lifted up and onto the table.

My eyes flew open as Ash gently pushed my shoulder down. I could see the blood soaking through my yellow T-shirt. He gently peeled it away from the gash, exposing my stomach. He very carefully inched my newly made shorts down an inch to expose the bottom of my cut.

I found his hand with mine as he reached for another cotton ball and I bit my lip.

It stung like all hell.

I was surprised I didn't break Ash's fingers with that one, and as the initial shock wore off it became easier and I opened my eyes. I ceased the gnawing of my lip as I felt the pain leave. A few more wipes, and a cotton pad was on the gash. This time he used medical tape to keep it in place. He replaced my shorts and shirt and helped me down off the table.

He was about to start cleaning up when I noticed a darker damp patch on his back and a shard of rock sticking out of a hole in his shirt.

"Oh my god Ash!"

He spun around frantically to check me over.

"Not me," I walked around to his back and ripped the hole open. Tears sprung to my eyes.

Luckily, it wasn't deep, it was a shallow cut, but the rock was long, it was sharp, and it was about 6 inches long. I was relieved it hadn't dug under the skin so I wouldn't have to find a way to clean all the way through, it was all on the surface.

"Take your shirt off," I stated simply.

"Wha—"

"Take off the goddamn shirt Ash!"

He sighed, working one arm through the sleeve and carefully removing the shirt.

His back still to me, I pulled him back to the counter and made him sit. I gathered the supplies he had just used on me and sat cross legged behind him on the counter.

"This is going to hurt Ash," I said softly, "and it's going to leave a pretty big scar."

I thought I heard him mumble, "Small price to pay," but I assumed it was my mind playing tricks on me.

His hand gripped the side of the counter and I could see the muscles in his arms and back ripple as he clenched his hands in pain. I very carefully and very slowly removed the large rock shard. I could see his whole body relax once it was out and I had placed it next to me on the counter.

I grabbed the washcloth and rubbed away the dirt on his back as well as the blood and rocks around the wound. It had begun to bleed again, and I gently applied pressure.

"It was _because_ of how much it hurt," Ash offered.

"Huh?" I asked, not sure what he was talking about.

"The reason I didn't talk to you?" he explained, glancing over his shoulder at me, "it was because of how much it hurt you weren't there with me."

I pulled the now blood-soaked cloth away from the wound. It had stopped bleeding, so I reached for the rubbing alcohol and cotton balls.

"That makes no sense Ash," I mumbled, "this is going to hurt."

He brought his knuckles up to his mouth and bit down as I wiped the cotton swab into the gash. I made sure to get all the dirt and blood. I grabbed the tweezers that were sitting there too and pulled out a few remaining shards and bits of gravel from the cut. Once I was satisfied it was clean, I grabbed the washcloth again to wipe away the new blood.

"Misty," he sighed, "to talk to you, to e-mail you and to not have you with us on the road hurt me more than anything ever has in my life."

He continued with his confession as I wiped the blood from his back.

"I could only imaging how you were feeling too," he explained, "and I couldn't bear to cause you that kind of pain for however many years you weren't in my life.

"Think about it Misty, how much would it have hurt if I had continued to talk to you while I was gone in comparison to how much it hurt when I disappeared completely?"

I pondered over that question as I placed the cotton pad over the gash and reached for the medical tape. I sat in silence as I taped the pad over his back.

"You fell in love with Gary," he offered, "you were able to move on with your life. Coming back to see you happy, knowing that you were doing better than you would have had I stayed, is worth whatever I get from you now, whether it's anger or a second chance."

I smoothed my hand over the bandage to let him know he was done and he stepped down from the counter. I grabbed the cloth and moved in front of him to check for other scrapes.

Yep. Definitely not a boy anymore.

I used the cloth to gently wipe the dirt and blood from a scrape on his chest. After running a new cotton ball over it I let him put his shirt back on.

"Okay." I said finally.

Ash stood up from reclaiming his hat and looked at me quizzically.

"I'm still angry at you Ash. God, am I ever angry with you," I began, "but I believe in second chances. This is the only one you will get. Blow this, and I'm done with you."

A grin spread over Ash's face, he extended an arm to me and I walked into his side, wrapping my arm around his waist as his own settled around my shoulders.

"Uh Misty?"

"Yeah Ash?" I looked up at him.

"Think Gary will let me borrow some shoes?"

I looked down to see Ash's toes peeking out of his socks.

"Let's go shoeless wonder," I laughed.

* * *

**Alright! This one didn't take me long at all. Sorry about that cliffhanger by the way, I tend to do that a lot though, but with this story, I promise I will update every other, if not every, day. So you wont have to wait long for the next chapter anyway.**

**Hope you like it! Let me know if I'm doing alright with Suggestioner's idea!**

**Review! :)**

**-H**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for not updating for the past few days. I've been a bit busy this weekend and haven't had the time. I also didn't want to write half-assed and quickly, putting out a shitty chapter when I could have taken a bit longer and made sure it was great.**

**Thank you all for your encouragement, it really means a lot and keeps me coming back to the computer.**

**Hope I'm doing justice to the idea, and I hope you all are happy with how this story is turning out.**

**Now, Chapter 5!**

**I don't remember in the Butterfree episode if Misty was in the hot air balloon with Ash… so just pretend she wasn't.**

* * *

**MPOV**

"_Pikachuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"_

_Pikachu's thundershock popped Team Rocket's air balloon for the…I have no idea what time. As it deflated and they spun away, I rocked back on my heels._

"_You know," I started, looking over to Ash, "despite the fact that I absolutely despise that stupid balloon, I've always wanted to go up on one."_

_Ash looked over at me, "Really?"_

"_Yeah," I pursed my lips, thinking, "I've always loved them. The feeling of floating through the sky and the overall overwhelming feeling of just _being_ that would come with it. I've dreamt about it ever since I was little."_

_Ash retrieved his backpack from the tree and slung it over his shoulder, working his arms through the straps, "The one time I was on one I didn't really think about it like that."_

_We continued down the road, Pikachu returning to his usual perch on Ash's head. Once comfortably situated, the small Pokémon proceeded to fall asleep, letting out a 'chaa.'_

"_Think they'll ever give up?" I asked, glancing over at Ash walking beside me. He had become so much more carefree since the cliff. _

_He looked around more, admired the views. He cared for his Pokémon more, letting them out of their Pokeballs as often as he could. He called his mother at every Poké Center we arrived at, and told her he loved her every time. He was different, and yet he wasn't at the same time._

_It made my heart swell to watch._

"_I don't know," he shrugged, "and I don't really care. We've seen all they appear to have, and it's nothing we can't handle."_

_I laughed at that, "Always so cocky."_

"_Would you have me any other way?" he smirked, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. I chuckled._

"_Oh, definitely," I teased, picking up stride slightly._

"_Oh really?" he drawled, creeping up behind me._

"_Ash," I warned, spinning around and backing away from his advancing hands, "I swear—"_

"_You swear what?" he taunted, wiggling his fingers, "what'll you do Misty."_

"_Ash!" I screamed as he tackled me, rolling us through the grass. Pinning me under him he began tickling my sides._

_Laughing, I squirmed beneath him, trying to pull away._

"_Ash, stop! Please!" I laughed, pushing away his unceasing hands. Getting an idea, I leaned up to wrap my arms around his neck, rolling us so he was on his back. I weaved my fingers through his and forced them above his head._

"_Ha!" I panted, catching my breath. I was smiling until I realized exactly what position I was in._

_My legs were on either side of his torso, and due to how much taller he was than me, pinning his hands above his head caused me to stretch so my lips were inches from his. My stomach flush against his, I suddenly became really nervous. I had been fighting and denying what was occuring in me for the longest time. Falling in l—_

_No. That wasn't what was going on here. That would make this extremely complicated, and we didn't need that right now. Not on the road when we were going to continue spending so much time together._

_Swallowing heavily I slowly released his hands and stood up, pulling him up with me._

"_Sorry," I whispered, keeping my head down._

_Ash's hand found mine again, bringing it up to his cheek._

"_You have nothing to be sorry for."_

* * *

God I loved weekends.

Mornings were never my strong suit, and waking up on the weekend was definitely what I preferred.

Smiling at the memories from last night I stretched out my muscles, still store from last night. I let out a content sigh, and rolling over stretched my arm out to find the bed empty.

My eyebrows coming together I opened an eye to glance around the room.

Empty.

Too lazy to find clothes, I pulled the bed sheet around my body and shuffled out of our bedroom. Walking into the hallway I picked up a heavenly scent that sent a rumble through my stomach.

Smiling, I shuffled down the stairs toward the intoxicating aroma. Turning the corner I saw Gary in the kitchen, frying bacon and pancakes in separate pans.

Creeping up behind him, I opened the sheet and wrapped my sheet-covered arms around him from behind, kissing the sensitive spot on his neck.

"Morning," I whispered against his skin, a shiver rolled through his body and I smiled. I loved seeing the reactions I could get out of him, no matter how simple. I then proceeded to hook my heel around his skin, pulling my naked body flush against his.

"Oh god Misty," he shuddered, stiffening at the contact. I felt him flip the last pancake onto a plate and turn off the burner before spinning around and lifting me up onto the counter. Eyes hooded with lust, he grabbed my thighs, pulling them on either side of his torso while his lips claimed mine.

I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him to me and grinding against his growing hardness. At that contact Gary broke away from the kiss, a groan rumbling in his throat. His teeth grazed my neck, causing an inaudible moan to escape my lips.

"We have to stop," he mumbled, nipping at my neck, "I have to get going."

"Why didn't you wake me up?" I gasped as he sucked at my neck, "I was going to go with you today."

"Change of plans," he mumbled, gripping my hips involuntarily as I ground against him again.

"That you weren't going to tell me about?"

A pained sound escaped his lips as he peeled himself from my body, wrapping the sheet securely around my body. I pouted and he kissed me chastely.

"I was going to leave a note with your breakfast," he gestured to the pancakes and bacon, "but you got up before I could."

I raised an eyebrow at him in question.

"Ash asked me if he could have you today, he wanted to talk to you."

I sighed, "But I was looking forward to shadowing you today."

He smiled, "I was too," kiss, "but trust me on this."

I sighed as he kissed me one last lingering time, "I love you," he mumbled against my lips.

"I love you too," I whispered kissing him one last time before releasing him. He disappeared out the front door, closing it gently behind him as I got down from the counter and wrapped the sheet securely around my body.

Grabbing syrup from the fridge, I took the plate he had prepared to the table and began to eat. I let out a small moan at the first bite, it was delicious.

I always loved Gary's cooking

_Why the hell are you not working at the restaurant?_

Just as I finished my last bite and was setting the dishes in the dishwasher, a knock sounded at the door. Securing the blanket I walked to the peephole, and in seeing it was Ash, opened the door.

His hat and gloves were missing, but he was still wearing his signature black t-shirt and jeans…as well as his teasing smirk.

"Forgot to do the laundry Mist?" he laughed, I rolled my eyes.

Stepping out of the way I let him into the foyer, closing the door behind him.

"Glad to see your arm is better." He gestured to the slightly pink discoloration on my arm.

It had been a few weeks since the Team Rocket incident, and since then Ash and I had grown closer. My guard was still firmly in place, but we were getting along again for the most part…excluding our signature disagreements and yelling matches. At the end of the day, when I would get home, they made me smile. He was making me smile again, resurrecting our friendship I thought we had lost years ago and thought would never rekindle.

The scrapes, bruises and gashes had healed completely, and it was only a matter of time before the colour was back to normal. I was glad when the pain had stopped flashing during mine and Gary's…activities.

Walking back up the steps I shuffled back to my closet, pulling down shorts and a shirt. I rummaged through my drawers to find underwear, pulling it on once I had located it. I dropped the sheet then and pulled my shorts on.

Grabbing my shirt off the floor and putting my arms through, I walked into the hall. Getting a good grip on the rest of the fabric, I drew it over my head and pulled it over my stomach as I walked down the stairs. I bounded down the last two steps and into the living room where Ash currently resided, looking through my photo albums.

I sat down next to Ash, drawing the photo album between both of us.

He was looking at the pictures from our journey together.

"You kept them?" he asked softly, running his thumb along the edge of one taken at Christmas, here in Pallet.

"I wanted to throw them away so many times," I admitted, running my fingers over the side of the page, "but when it came down to it, I couldn't bring myself to."

"Why not?" He glanced over at me, eyes boring into mine.

"I don't know," I admitted, looking down.

That was a lie. I knew exactly why.

Because as mad as I was at him, I just couldn't bring myself to erase him from my life completely.

And despite my anger, I was happy he was back.

Even if he did piss me off beyond belief.

Most of the time.

Kind of.

"Remember that?" he asked, pointing to my favourite picture.

"How could I forget?" I laughed.

* * *

"_Rain!" I squealed, running at my cousin and wrapping my arms around her._

_I hadn't seen her in years, so when she told me she was in the same town as us at a nearby hotel, I jumped at the chance to meet up with her. Long blue hair, stunning green eyes, and the same height as me, we could be considered twins._

_The resemblance was uncanny._

"_I've missed you so much Mist," she said just as loud, squeezing me._

"_Oh jeeze," I grunted, laughing at how the phrase had come out._

"_Come on," she said, eying me with a competitive gaze, "it's time for a rematch." _

_She began dragging me through the halls of the hotel out back to the pool._

"_Oh no Rain," I tried to pull my hand from hers, "get over it. I beat you last time, you can't ask me for a rematch every time you lose."_

"_Like I lost that often," she scoffed._

"_Let's see, there's the—"_

"Okay!" he waved her hands frantically, "I get it!"

_I sighed in relief._

"_You still aren't getting out of this one though," she smirked, shoving me into the pool._

_After resurfacing I looked at her in shock as Brock and Ash flanked her on either side, trying not to break out into a smile._

"_Don't you dare laugh," I snarled. _

_They did._

_Climbing out of the pool, I grabbed Ash's hands and put all me weight into leaning back, pulling him into the water with me. At the last minute, I grabbed Rain's hand too, dragging her down with us._

_She screamed as she surfaced, glaring at me, "You didn't."_

"_I just did," I smirked._

"Brock!"

_I laughed, "He'll never—"_

SPLASH!

_Of course he would._

_She was a girl after all._

"_Ready?" she asked, I sighed._

"_Rain," I warned._

"_CHICKEN WAR!"_

_I suddenly felt myself being lifted up and out of the water on Ash's shoulders._

"_You were in on this?" I asked incredulously, looking down at Ash. I just raised and lowered with the movement of his shrugging shoulders._

"_I'm going to kill you," I growled, my head snapping up as Brock raised Rain from the water._

"_Ready?" she asked again, raising her hands in preparation._

"_Come on Misty," Brock encouraged, have fun with it._

_I looked down to Brock at the same time as I felt my first shove._

_Mouth open in awe, my features slowly contorted to an evil grin._

"_Oh no you didn't," I grinned, leaning forward, "let's kill her Ash."_

FLASH!

* * *

"I was surprised someone was there to take our picture," I recounted fondly, "I was glad to get it."

Ash smiled as he closed the album, putting it back it its spot on the shelf, "I still have my copy."

"Really?" I asked, looking at him.

He stood up and pulled his wallet out of this back pocket. Opening the leather, he pulled out a folded up piece of paper, handing it to me.

I was first drawn to the words, written in a scrawl that should have been familiar to me by now.

It _was_ my writing after all.

I unfolded the picture to see what I had written all those years ago.

_Always._

My stomach dropped and fluttered as I looked back up at Ash. As soon as they appeared, I swallowed them.

No.

Don't go there.

"Should we get going?" I asked, handing him the picture back. Pulling me up off the couch with him, he lead me to the front door, kicking my shoes toward me.

"You're going to love this," he smiled, opening the door for me.

Walking through the doorway, he shut the door behind us, walking back down to the road.

We made our way up the road, in the opposite direction of the restaurant. We weaved around trees, over rocks, and through countless patches of vines before we broke into a clearing.

"You didn't," I said, shocked as my gaze settled on what was in the middle of the clearing.

"I did," he said proudly, leading me further into the field.

A beautiful hot air balloon sat in the middle of the clearing. Tied to a post on the ground, the rope had to be 1000 feet long. Helping me into the basket, I could only stare in awe at Ash as he climbed in after me, setting it up to take off.

"I can't believe you did this," I exhaled in awe as we started to ascend.

He shrugged his shoulders, "It was something you said you'd always wanted to do."

"Yeah," I said breathless, "almost 10 years ago."

He grinned, "I have a good memory."

"So you've proved."

The view from where we were was absolutely spectacular. A stream ran through the middle of the clearing we were in, running into a distant ocean. The town from up here looked so small, people walking through the small area. I loved where I was living, it was a small community where everybody knew each other.

The sun was high in the sky, glinting off the water, causing it to sparkle like a diamond.

Ash walked over to where I was standing.

"Gorgeous isn't it?" he asked.

"Unbelievable."

He looked to the sky, wind blowing through his hair, "I was flying up here with Charizard a few years ago. The view reminded me of that conversation I had with you about hot air balloons. I had always meant to come back and take you up here."

My eyes watered as I looked over at him. His face was so serene, so calm, so truthful.

"I can't express how sorry I am Misty," he whispered, " I don't think I could ever make up for leaving the way I did for as long as I did."

He wouldn't meet my eye, so I wrapped my arms around his stomach, turning him to me.

His arms wrapped around my shoulders and his cheek rested on the top of my head.

"You're doing pretty well so far," I whispered into his chest. His body was warming me to the bone, something I really needed at this high altitude.

"How are you not cold?" I asked incredulously, drawing him closer for warmth.

I felt his chest rumble beneath my ear, "I run warm."

I laughed at that, shivering.

"Let's get you down," he said, pulling away from me gently, "wouldn't want you to get sick now would we?"

I laughed softly as he began manoeuvring us back down to the ground.

Helping me out of the basket, I dropped to the grass lightly as my phone sounded on my pocket. I answered it as Ash dropped beside me.

"Hello?"

"Miss Waterflower?" The voice was almost drowned out by the frantic movement and voices in the background.

"Yes?" I asked, plugging my other ear to hear better.

"You are listed as an emergency contact for Gary Oak, correct?" she asked.

My stomach dropped.

"Yes," my voice was shaking, "what is it?"

"You'd better get down to the hospital now Miss Waterflower, he's just been rushed into our emergency room."

My phone dropped to the grass.

* * *

**Dun dun duuuuuun!**

**Again, sorry for the wait, I was busy and didn't have much time.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**REVIEW! :)**

H


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you so much for the encouragement, some things I do take into account, but if I feel it won't fit in with what I've planned, I can't.**

**If you all will just trust me, I think you'll be happy with what I've got planned :)**

**Oh, and I don't know if you've caught on, but these flashbacks are completely random. They have no linear time frame at all.**

**-H**

* * *

**MPOV**

"_Alright, a few more days and we'll be there," Brock chorused, rolling up his sleeping bag. Ash and I followed suit, securing them to our backpacks and heading down the road._

_We were coming up to the next Pokémon Center. Sore from all the hiking through the valleys and woods, we stumbled through, grateful for somewhere comfortable to sit._

_Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ash sit down at a phone while Brock sat down opposite me._

"_Told him yet?" he asked. I raised an eyebrow in question._

"_You know exactly what I'm talking about Misty," he stated._

"_I actually have no clue," I said honestly. I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about._

"_You love him," Brock stated._

"_Well yeah," I scoffed, "he's my best friend, of course I love him. I love you too." I was evading the obvious implication he had made with his statement._

"_You know what I mean Misty," Brock said lowly, staring me down._

"_Of course I'm not going to tell him," I stated blatantly, "it would ruin everything."_

"_So blind," I heard him mumble._

_I was about to yell at him when I heard Ash's voice catch._

_Looking over to where he was, he was talking to his mom. I stood up, walking over and sat next to him as he finished his conversation._

"_Was it peaceful?" he asked, tears threatening to escape his eyes._

_I saw his mom nod and Ash's head fell to his chest._

_"Good," he looked back up to his mother, "love you mom, talk to you soon."_

_"We'll have it when you get back," she __said before hanging up._

_Ash just sat there, gazing blankly at the empty screen._

"_Ash?" I asked softly._

_He didn't say anything._

_I gently rested my hand on his forearm, and that's all it took for him to let the tears fall._

"_My grandfather died yesterday," he whispered, and my heart ached._

"_Oh Ash," I sighed, pulling him into a hug, "I'm so sorry."_

_His arms wrapped around my waist as he rested the bridge of his nose on my collarbone._

"_I feel so guilty," he confessed._

"_Why?" I questioned._

"_Because I wasn't there," he whispered._

_I ran my fingers through the hair on his head. It had always comforted me when I was little and someone would do that._

"_It's not your fault," I told him, not letting go._

"_It feels like it is," I felt him mumble._

"_Ash, look at me," I pulled back and grabbed his face in my hands. His eyes held mine for a long moment before I told him what I had always known._

"_When someone dies, it is never your fault in any way," I rubbed my thumb over his cheek, "even though you weren't there, he still knew you loved him. You didn't have to be there for him to know that."_

_Ash just pulled me closer._

_And I was all too happy to comply._

* * *

"Misty!"

I snapped out of my daze to look at Ash's worried face.

"What is it?"

I snatched my phone up off the ground and sprinted back to the road.

"MISTY!"

I heard Ash advancing on me, and soon enough he was running alongside me. I couldn't believe this was happening to me, not after finally resolving everything in my life.

We were engaged.

"What is going on?" Ash asked for what seemed like the millionth time.

"Gary's in the hospital."

A look of recognition crossed his face before he swung me up onto his back and took off at twice the speed. He knew his way around Pallet town better than I did, he weaved around buildings, through alley's, over boxes and fences at lightning speed, all without slowing down.

He finally ended up in the emergency parking lot before letting me down, and running through the entrance together.

It was hectic.

"Where is he?" I asked, looking around. Ash was just as frantic before spotting a flash of brown hair through the open blinds of a trauma room.

We sprinted to the door.

"GARY!"

I tried to get to him but I was held back by a few doctors.

"Miss, you can't be in here." They were moving all around him, sticking needles into his hand, pulling back his eyelids to check his pupils, turning his head from side to side.

"He's my fiancé!" I pushed past them to his side, but he showed no signs of being conscious.

"Gary?" I asked, turning his face to me, "Gary baby, can you hear me?"

I saw his eyelashes flutter, but no other movement as I heard the beeps speed up.

"Miss you have to leave," I was being pulled out of the room, "we have to get him in to surgery, an aneurysm has burst and we have to repair it."

I felt Ash's arms restrain me as I tried to follow the gurney and failed miserably. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I fell into hysterics.

"Are you Ash Ketchum?" I heard a voice from behind us, and I felt Ash turn without losing his grip on me.

"This is for you…" I heard the doctor mumble something else but I couldn't make the words, and right now, I didn't even care.

My body slumped and my head hung as my mind started going into shock. I felt Ash pick me up bridal style and carry me into the waiting room where we waited.

And waited.

And waited.

* * *

"_I hate hospitals," I mumbled._

_Ash looked over to me, "Why?"_

_I sighed, "They've never brought me any good. It's always been death or injury, and frankly, I can't stand being exposed to that much pain anymore."_

_Ash and I had been out with his Lapras, fishing for Pokémon when someone had bounded up the beach yelling to us that our friend had been rushed to the hospital. Having no idea what he was talking about at first, we assumed he'd gotten the wrong person._

_Until we realized he hadn't._

_Brock's appendix has burst and he had been rushed to the ER for emergency surgery._

_And that's where we were, waiting for Brock in the waiting room, hoping that he was going to be okay and that they had gotten to him in time before the toxins from his intestines infected his bloodstream._

"_Brock is a fighter," Ash said simply, "he's got too many girls to hit on to have any serious complications. Nothing can keep the guy from his women."_

_I laughed at that, smiling for the first time since we'd gotten here. Ash wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me to his chest._

"_He's going to be fine Misty," he reassured me, "nothing is going to happen to Big Brother Brock."_

_I smiled at his use of 'B's' and tried to breathe. Unfortunately, my anxiety wasn't doing wonders for my stomach._

_I was able to make it to the garbage can before I heaved my lunch up._

_I spit into the bag, "God dammit," I moaned, "I don't even get sea sick."_

"_There's only so much the human mind can handle before it starts to affect your body," Ash explained, pulling my hair back from my face._

"_Oh really now?" I said sarcastically before heaving again. I coughed and spit again._

"_God I hate this," I sighed, dry heaving this time. There was nothing left in my stomach for me to get out as tears ran down my cheeks._

_The one thing in the world I hated the most, was throwing up. It made me feel awful._

_Not to mention my ribcage hurt like a bitch the next morning._

_Waking up on Ash's chest was something I wasn't used to, but I have to say it was the most comfortable pillow I'd ever had. His arms were locked securely around my waist to keep me from falling, and yet it was unconsciously because he was asleep._

_All of the worry on his face had melted away, he looked so peaceful, so happy._

_So young._

_Lately, with his Grandfather dying, the cliff incident, and Team Rocket on top of it, Ash had aged more than he should have. Not physically, emotionally._

_And it broke my heart._

_But to see him like this, so…worry free, I didn't want to wake him up._

_I brushed the hair out of his face, and gingerly picked up the hat that had fallen off his head. Placing it securely on my own head, I laid back down, only to be woken up by the surgeon coming through the doors._

_I sat up, waking Ash up nicely, before the Doctor came over to us._

"_Family for Brock?" he asked, and we both nodded._

"_Had his appendix ruptured any earlier, he wouldn't have made it. But because he was rushed here within minutes, we were able to repair the intestine and stabilize him."_

_I sighed in relief, immediately hugging Ash who hugged me tightly._

"_Thank you so much," we said together, and then laughed at our synchronicity. His eyes travelled to the hat on my head._

"_Is that my hat?" he asked, and I fought my body's reaction to blush._

"_So what if it is?" I challenged. He reached over and spun it so it was backwards._

"_I don't have a problem with it," he brushed a few strands of hair out of my face._

"_You can wait in his room until he wakes up if you'd like," the doctor offered, and we both stood up quickly. At a brusque pace, we strode through the halls._

_And Ash weaved his fingers through mine._

* * *

This time, I wasn't as calm.

I was pacing back and forth frantically.

"Misty, you're going to wear a hole in the carpet if you keep that up."

I ignored him.

_He's going to be okay, he's going to be okay, he's going to be okay,_ I told myself.

It was my mantra.

There were a few other families in the waiting room, and every time a doctor came in my head would snap up in hope. Then, when he or she strode over to a different family, I resumed my pacing.

Ash had gotten some food awhile ago but I hadn't eaten. A sandwich and salad lay untouched on the seat beside Ash. I couldn't bring myself to eat or drink anything.

We had been there for hours.

_How much longer until we get an update?_

Like he could read my mind, Ash answered my unspoken question.

"Surgeries take hours upon hours," he explained, "brain surgery can take even longer. They are extremely careful, precise to the last detail."

I didn't respond.

Ash stood up and planted himself in front of me. Resting his hands on my shoulders, he waited until I looked at him.

"No news is good news Misty."

Walking back over to the seat, he retrieved the sandwich, unwrapped it, and handed me a half.

"You haven't eaten since breakfast," he told me, "eat."

I just looked at him blankly.

"Now."

Something about the tone of his voice told me he really wasn't giving me an option. Sighing, I bit into the sandwich, and as soon as I did, I scarfed the whole thing down.

As soon as I swallowed the last bite, a bottle of water was in my line of vision, and I drained it within seconds. Once my stomach was full, I began to relax a bit more.

So I sat down and waited with Ash.

I looked over and up at him, his raven hair peeking out from under his hat. Reaching over, I tugged the cap off and set it down on my own head, smiling at my accomplishment.

"How many times have you done that?" he joked, and I smiled.

"Dunno," I admitted, pulling it a bit farther down, "I lost count."

He reached over and flipped it to the back again, tilting it slightly to one side.

Once he was satisfied with his work, we fell into silence again.

And I resumed worrying.

"Wanna play 20 questions?" I asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

"Which kind?" he asked.

"The kind where we ask each other personal questions, back and forth until we're bored or venture off topic. You also have to answer the question you ask." I explained, and he nodded.

"Sure."

"You first," I told him, and he thought hard.

"First kiss?" he asked.

I grimaced, "I lost a bet to this random guy I met on vacation once. He guilted me into kissing him. I've regretted it ever since. You?"

He grimaced too, "Spin the bottle/seven minutes in heaven. It was not a pleasant experience for a 10 year old. She was…" he trailed off and shuddered. He didn't need to say anything, I could already feel his discomfort.

I paused for a few minutes before asking mine.

"Longest relationship?" I asked.

"About two years," he stated simply, "she travelled with Brock and I for awhile. We were together until we got into a huge fight and she ended up leaving. We made up awhile back and decided to stay friends, but I'm pretty sure she still has feelings for me."

I couldn't help but feel the slightest bit jealous as he looked at me. Then I realized he was waiting for my answer to my own question.

"Gary."

Ash nodded, "Right. Don't even need an explanation there."

He went quiet as he thought of his next question.

"Ever cheated?"

I looked up at him in shock, "Hell no."

I saw an amused smile cross his features, "Good to know."

I glared at him, unimpressed, "What about you Mr. Intrusive?"

I saw his face fall, "Physically? No. Emotionally on the other hand…" he trailed off, visibly upset.

"What do you mean?"

"Ah, ah, ah," he taunted, "not the question. Your turn."

I sighed in defeat, and since I didn't have an answer to the question I wanted to ask him, I couldn't make that my next question.

"Most embarrassing moment?" I asked, smiling evilly.

"Oh god," Ash moaned, his head falling in his hands, "anything but that."

I smirked.

Sighing, Ash answered, "I was on a family camping trip a few years ago with my cousin. We had to share the same tent, queen sized mattress, and blanket. We weren't to happy about that, and she wasn't too happy when we woke up the next morning to some morning wood."

I burst out laughing as Ash glared at me.

"Don't forget you have to answer too Missy."

That shut me up.

Ah _shit._

"I honestly have no idea," I lied.

"Liar," he smirked, "you have this thing you do, this little chin dimple that shows whenever you're lying."

_God dammit._

"I ran into a closed sliding glass door."

Ash started holding his sides in laughter.

"Shut up moron," I told him, hitting him over the back of the head.

"Sorry," he laughed, dying down.

"First love?"

My stomach dropped.

That's when another doctor walked into the room and walked up to me.

"Miss Waterflower?"

I stood up, still smiling from Ash's hysterics.

"That's me."

"Miss Waterflower, I'm so sorry, but we didn't get to him in time. We couldn't repair the burst and his brain didn't receive enough oxygen."

I was confused, "What are you saying?"

"I'm so sorry Miss Waterflower," she said again, "but your fiancé passed away a few minutes ago."

I felt like I'd been hit in the chest with a hammer and had my heart ripped out.

"What?"

"If you'll come with me—"

"Where is he?" I asked, my voice soft.

"Miss—"

"_Where is he!?"_ I screamed, walking towards the doors. I felt Ash's arms reach for me, put I ripped myself from his grasp. A wave of nausea suddenly hit me and I ran for the trash can, heaving like I had waiting for Brock's results all those years ago.

When I was done I felt hands reach to pull my hair back but I slapped them away.

"Don't touch me," I growled, spinning around to face Ash.

"This is _your_ fault," I yelled, poking Ash in the chest, "I was supposed to be with him today! If I had been with him, then I could have gotten him here faster and he would be alive! You're the reason the man I love is dead Ash Ketchum!"

He walked towards me again, grasping my wrists in his hands.

"Don't touch me!" I screamed, tears falling down my face as I tried to free myself from his grip, "you son of a bitch!"

"You _son of a bitch!_" I cried, pounding my fists against his chest. He took my strikes as I screamed hysterically. The more I pounded, the more I began to cry, the tighter he held my wrists until he held both of my hands with one wrist and secured me around the shoulders with the other. I fought against his arms until I couldn't anymore, losing all strength and breaking down entirely.

"You son of a bitch." I whispered, tears falling silently down my cheeks.

But this time, I had no idea who I was talking to.

* * *

**I know you were hoping for Gary to say goodbye, and I hope you don't hate me for that. But I **_**PROMISE**_ **you are going to love me in the next chapter. Please don't stop reading, I PROMISE you will love me.**

**Thank you for sticking with this.**

**REVIEW PLEASE! :)**

**H**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for the cliffie, I just knew that's where I wanted to end the chapter.**

**I'm glad you all seem to be enjoying the story, I know what you've reviewed that you want to see, but I've already written out the plot and I think you'll be extremely happy with what I've thought up.**

**Now, without further adieu…**

**Chapter 7**

* * *

**MPOV**

"Instant."

"_He was an amazing man."_

"Very few aneurysm cases in which it ruptured have survivors."

_"Such a shame to lose such a life so young."_

"Nothing you could have done would have changed the outcome."

"_We will always remember him."_

"It wasn't your fault. There was nothing anybody could do."

"_He will be missed."_

* * *

Phrases echoed through my head. Those from the doctors when they were explaining what had happened. Those from the people who came to his funeral. Those from family members who called to comfort me…

But I didn't care. I couldn't think. I couldn't _breathe_.

I was numb.

Professor Oak wasn't taking it so well. He was Gary's only surviving family and had been raising him since he was about 5. He had lost his grandson, but above all else he had lost another son…because that's what Gary had become to him.

He was staying with Delia.

A few days after, I walked around, going through the motions in a trance. I set up the funeral, I had him cremated…I couldn't bear to leave him rotting in the ground. After holding the service, I had scattered his ashes in the backyard pond with Professor Oak.

We leaned on each other for support for the first few days. But we found out that wasn't working, we needed our own time to mourn before we came back together.

So I stayed in my house.

I hadn't seen Ash since the service. I was ashamed. I couldn't deal with what was resurfacing—even if it was little—not when my fiancé had just died. The guilt was paralyzing.

So I hid.

I had food delivered to the house, I had Brock take care of my Pokémon. I had dipped into my savings money-wise until I felt I was able to get back to work.

I didn't know if I ever could.

Wearing only one of Gary's shirts, I stood up when I heard a knock at the door. I shuffled over to the peephole to see who was on my doorstep today.

Ash again.

I was about to walk away from the door when I heard Ash call out to me.

"Come on Misty, I know you're in there!"

I immediately stopped walking, paralyzed where I stood.

"It's been a month Mist. A month of me knocking at your door, waiting for you to answer, and then when you didn't, leaving to try another day. It's been a month of me waiting for you to call, waiting for you to let _someone_ in. This is hard, I know, but you can't do it on your own."

I strode back to the door and threw it open, fuming.

"I'd been doing things on my own for _years_ after you disappeared on me Ash," I snarled in face, he was in shock that I had opened the door as I continued, "I don't _need_ you to help me, and if you're so impatient with me not answering the door, then why the _hell _do you bother to keep trying?"

"Because I promised I would."

I stayed silent.

"Misty, when I came back, I promised you I wouldn't leave again," he said sincerely, "and I'm abiding by that promise. Yes, you're pushing everyone away, but I'm not going to let you do that to me.

"I am _here,_" he told me, wiping a tear from my cheek, "for _you._ And I'm not going anywhere."

Looking up at Ash, I couldn't deal with that guilt.

So I shut the door again.

"I'll be back tomorrow!" He called, before I saw him walk down the stairs and away from my house.

With my back to the door, I slid down to the floor, letting the tears fall.

"Gary," I cried, forehead resting on my arms, "why?"

"I didn't even get to say goodbye," I whispered.

After spending a good 15 minutes crying, I got onto my hands and knees and pulled myself up the steps and into bed. It still smelled like him, I made sure of that. It was the only thing that was keeping me from going completely numb.

I fell asleep.

* * *

_Rolling over in bed, I snuggled into a warm chest, listening to the beating beneath the skin. Meditative, peaceful, definition of serenity._

_The arms wrapped around my waist, pulling my completely unclothed body flush against the sculpted one. Lips descended onto my neck, gently nibbling on the skin. I let out a faint 'ah,' and shuddered, adoring every second._

"_God I love you," I whispered, rolling us so I was lying on top of him._

"_I love you too Mist," Ash echoed, kissing me again._

_Getting up and stretching, I pulled a light robe around me, tying the front tight. I was about to walk into the hall when I felt a tug on the belt, and was pulled back against my extremely sexy lover._

"_Where do you think you're going?" he whispered huskily. Just the breath of his words over my skin made me ache for him…again._

"_Ash," I moaned, relishing in the feel of him, "I have to go check on him."_

_I felt his hands run under the robe and over my curves, settling onto the base of my stomach._

"_I'll be down with all of you shortly," he slurred, kissing me, and setting my body on fire._

_Reluctantly pulling away, I slipped out the door and down the hall. Opening the door slowly, I peeked in to check the contents._

_Still sleeping in bed._

Good,_ I thought, _I have time to make pancakes before he wakes up.

_Gliding down the hall and stairs, I swiftly brought out any and all ingredients for blueberry and chocolate chip pancakes. Not together of course, but two separate batches. The little one loved both, but usually only got one. Today I wanted to do something special for him, so I did two batches._

_Working quickly with the flour, baking powder/soda, salt, sugar, eggs, butter and milk, I whipped up two batches extremely quickly and began working all four burners with two large pancake griddles. With my experience at the restaurant, I worked with a spatula in each hand, double time._

_I was turning off the griddles when I felt two small arms wrap themselves around my leg._

"_Morning mommy," a small voice said softly. My heart swelled as I bent down to pick him up._

"_Morning baby," I whispered, kissing his nose, "we have both chocolate chip, _and_ blueberry pancakes for breakfast today."_

_A wide grin spread over his face, and his azure eyes twinkled. Hugging me tight around the neck, the most intense feeling I had ever experienced washed over me as I returned the embrace._

"_I love you so much," I told him._

"_Love you too Mommy," he said, sitting back in my hands, "where's dad?"_

"_Dad's upstairs sweetheart," I told him, setting him down on the floor, "he'll be down soon."_

"_First day! First day! First day!" he exclaimed, dancing around the kitchen before scrambling up a stool to wait for his pancakes. I served him one chocolate chip, and one blueberry before pouring a light layer of syrup on top. Cutting the pancakes into small squares, I then handed him the fork he proceeded to use to stuff his mouth._

_It was then I felt two arms wrap themselves securely around my waist. I sunk back into the embrace, loving the feel of his lips on my neck. Turning around I scratched at his stubble playfully, causing him to smirk at me._

"_Done!"_

_I spun around, "Go get ready for school baby."_

_The little life bounded up the stairs. _

_The night before we had packed up all his things in a backpack and laid out his clothes. He was so excited we'd had trouble getting him to sleep at all. Once we did though, he slept like a log._

_As I noticed the time, I began to grow more anxious._

"_What if the other kids don't like him?" I asked Ash. _

_Rubbing my cheeks, he said, "They'll love him."_

"_What if he gets scared?"_

_Ash laughed, "The fearless wonder?"_

"_What if the other kids are mean to him? What—" my lips were silenced with a kiss._

"_He's going to be just fine," he whispered against my lips before kissing me again._

"_But—"_

"_No buts," he said, before we were joined in the kitchen._

"_Ready Momma," he smiled up at me, and I picked him up. Setting him on my hip, Ash and I walked out the front door and down to the end of our sidewalk. I set him down just as the bus to pick him up rounded the corner._

"_You'll have such a great time today," I told him, straightening out his shirt. Ash knelt down, rubbing the little guy's brown hair._

"_Have a great first day kiddo," he smiled, kissing his forehead._

"_Bye mommy, bye daddy," he grinned, before bounding up the steps of the bus and taking a seat in the mid-front._

_I stood there, waving until the bus was out of sight._

"_Gary's going to be fine," Ash told me, taking my hand and leading me back into the house._

"_I know, I just…" I trailed off._

"_You're a mother," he smiled, turning me to face him once we had entered the house again, "it's natural to feel this way. It'll make it the slightest bit easier next time." He said that past part while placing both hands over my stomach._

"_I doubt it will make it easier," I grumbled, glaring playfully up at him._

"_Okay, easier may not be the right word," he pulled me right to him, "but you'll know that she'll be okay."_

"_Or he," I countered._

"_Or he," Ash added._

_His lips descended to mine, igniting a raging inferno in my lower abdomen. I weaved my hands into his hair, lightly scratching the back of his head. His response was to pick me up and start walking up the stairs, but unfortunately, he got a call._

"_Yeah?" he asked breathlessly. I had to suppress my giggles at him tickling my neck with his stubble. I love him unshaved._

"_Alright, I'll be right there," he said, ending the call, "gotta go."_

_He kissed me once quickly, before shoving his feet into his shoes and grabbing his jacket._

"_You know, leaving a horny girl super duper horny isn't going to turn out well when you get home," I told him, and evil glint in my eye._

"_I'll take my chances," he smirked, before poofing from my line of vision._

_Literally._

"_Ash?" I asked, throwing the door open. _

_There was nothing there._

_No streets, no cars, just a large field extending as far as the eye could see._

Huh?

"_Misty?"_

_I spun around to see Gary standing there._

_Suddenly, all my memories came flooding back._

_His death, the funeral, Ash._

"_Oh my god Gary, I'm so sorry," I said, horrified._

_Gary just laughed, "Misty, this was all my doing."_

_I looked at him confused. He just walked toward me, pulling me into a tight hug. He kissed me on the lips once before taking my hand and leading me through the field._

"_I'm so sorry I didn't get to say goodbye to you," he told me, squeezing my hand, "I've been trying to get through to you since then, but I wasn't able to. I'm guessing you were too upset to let me, or while blocking everyone out, you included me."_

"_I don't get it."_

"_Misty," Gary gestured to the left of the field. Ash was there, playing with little Gary, rolling around in the leaves in autumn. It was the most adorable thing I'd ever seen._

"_You love him." He said simply._

"_Gary—"_

"_And Misty," he continued, looking down at me, "that's okay. You have loved him since before you admitted it to yourself, and in the future, you will love him more than you ever loved me."_

_Turning towards Gary, I hung my head, "I feel so guilty."_

"_For what?" he asked._

"_You only died a month ago Gary," I cried, tears rolling down my cheeks, "the way I feel about Ash…I feel so awful for feeling that way since you've died."_

_Gary tilted my chin up to look at me, "Misty, I love you. I love you so much, and all I ever want for you is to be happy."_

"_But I don't want to just up and move on and forget about you," I told him, staring into his eyes._

"_You'll never forget me," he smiled, "that little life over there is proof of that."_

_I looked over to a scene now where Ash was fishing with Gary Jr.._

"_Ash is an amazing man," he said, looking at the scene, "he will be an amazing father to my son."_

"_I don't want you to feel like he's replacing you."_

"_He's not replacing me," Gary smiled as his son laughed, "he's doing the job that I can't do. You'll tell Gary about me when the time is right. When he's old enough to understand."_

_Looking down to me hope swelled in my chest, "How do I know that this is real and not just some messed up dream that's me trying to make myself feel better?"_

"_I knew something was wrong when I got to work that day," Gary started as we walked down the field, hand in hand, "but I didn't think anything of it. But when the headache became excruciating enough that I was paralyzed in pain, I knew that it wasn't going to end well for me._

"_When I got to the hospital, I managed to write a note and tell the doctor to give it to Ash Ketchum. I knew that he would be there with you, he loves you too you know," he stated matter of factly._

"_After all of this that I've done to him," I scoffed, "I highly doubt he does, or that he'll be waiting around for me."_

_Gary cradled my face in his hands, "You still don't see yourself clearly."_

_I leaned into the warmth of his hand, smiling._

"_I wrote on the paper, 'No matter what, take care of her. Even if she pushes you away.'" I felt his lips on mine one more time._

"_I love you," he whispered against my lips, "and you love me. But you love him too. All I want is for you to be happy Misty, and I know he can make you the happiest girl in the world if you just let him._

"_Do it for me," he finished, before I felt him leave._

_I was back in my house, in absolute awe of what had just happened._

_But then, I smiled._

* * *

I shot up in bed, remembering every little last detail.

I sprinted for the computer, immediately pulling up a Word document, and writing absolutely everything that I remembered down. Including the most important key piece of information.

_**No matter what, take care of her. Even if she pushes you away.**_

If Ash had that piece of paper, then I would know that dream was real.

Sitting back in my chair, I cried, but this time the tears were of happiness.

I was happy.

Gary was alright, he loved me, he wanted me to be happy.

Just then, a shiver wracked my body as a sentence echoed through my mind.

"_I'll be around."_

I stood up, peeling off Gary's shirt and stepping into the shower. Scrubbing my body thoroughly, I twisted back and forth under the warm stream.

Getting out and drying myself, I pulled a set of clothes on before towel-drying my hair and pulling my shoes on. Walking out the front door, I strode down the streets to the drug store.

Pulling a test from the shelf I walked up to the cash, putting it on my credit card. Not being able to wait any longer, I walked into the drugstore bathroom and sat down on the toilet.

After I was done, I placed the cap back over the tip, dumped the garbage and walked back to my house. Instead of going through the front door, I strode around back to the pond.

I wanted to be with Gary when I got the results.

Dipping my feet into the lake I moved them back and forth through the water, listening to the sound of it's movement. There was something about it that just brought me to complete peace, no matter the circumstance.

It was then I got a phone call.

"Hi Misty."

It was the Professor.

"Hi Professor Oak," I greeted him, "how're you today?"

I heard him sigh, "I still miss him. You?"

I decided to tell him about the dream.

I recounted the entire tale, minus the intimate details between me and Ash. After I was done I felt him heave a great sigh.

"Thank God," he said, and I could only imagine him looking at the ceiling, smiling.

"I'll be sure to confirm it with you once I see that note from Ash, but I know in my heart it was Gary." I told him, seeing there was only a minute left on the timer.

"If he comes to you again, tell him I love him," he requested, and I would gladly comply.

"Of course," I assured him, the timer dinging.

"What was that?" he asked.

I stared at the test, a grin breaking across my face.

"I'm pregnant Professor," I whispered in awe, and I heard him go silent.

I thought I heard a few quiet sobs from the other side of the phone, and I couldn't help but join in.

"I'll name him Gary," I decided, "after his amazing father."

"Because of the dream?" the professor joked through tears.

"I would have named him Gary anyway," I laughed, placing my hand over my stomach.

"Thank you Misty," he told me, "thank you so much for being a part of our lives."

I sob-laughed, "Of course Professor."

We both hung up.

Tears of joy flooded my eyes and streamed down my cheeks.

"A part of you is going to be here Gary," I voiced, looking to the sky, "I promise I will do you proud. I will raise him the way we would have together."

Just then a small sense of dread filled me.

"Oh Ash," I sighed.

Gary's voice echoed through the wind.

"_Go to him."_

* * *

**Alright! I hope that you are alright with this chapter. It was something that I felt I had to do and only would have worked if Misty hadn't been able to say goodbye to Gary.**

**Review please! I'd like to know what you think :)**

**H**


	8. Chapter 8

**To Suggestioner:**

**Funny thing about the pregnancy, before you mentioned it I was already planning on it. Great minds think alike 'eh? **

**Wow, that sounded super Canadian.**

**Anyway, this will be the last story chapter, followed by an Epilogue, and a bonus chapter. **

**I was going to wait and ask you guys if you wanted a lemon, but it kind of wrote itself…so I hope you guys are okay with this chapter.**

* * *

—**!BEWARE OF LEMON TO ALL READERS WHO ARE NOT EXPECTING IT!—**

* * *

**MPOV**

"_You have to tell him Misty."_

_Brock watched me as I paced back and forth in front of the fire. Ash was trying and failing to catch fish and the guilt was eating me alive._

"_I don't want him to be mad at me Brock," I sighed, looking down at my hands._

"_Misty, nothing you could ever tell Ash would make him mad at you or influence his decision to not be your friend anymore," Brock smiled at me._

"_How did you—"_

"_I know how you think Misty," Brock smirked, "nothing will ever stop Ash from being your friend."_

_I glanced around the trees, catching a glimpse of the raven-haired trainer in the water. His expression was extremely distraught and the scene completely broke my heart._

"_Oh Ash," I sighed, "I'm so sorry."_

_Suddenly, and idea popped into my head that made me smile. I couldn't believe that I hadn't thought of it before. I strode back to my backpack and dug deep into its contents, shuffling the Pokéballs and such around. When my hand came in contact with what I was looking for, I smiled at Brock who nodded knowingly, and I walked out to where Ash was._

_His back to me, I steadied my breathing. I repeated Brock's words in my mind like a mantra. I had to believe Ash wouldn't be mad at me for this. I _had_ broken his favourite lure after all._

"_Ash?"_

_He spun around to look at me, a grin spreading across his face. He shuffled over, making room for me next to him. I took a seat and took a deep breath._

"_I have something I need to tell you."_

_He looked at me quizzically but said nothing, inviting me to continue._

"_I really hope you won't hate me for this," I began, "because I'm so so sorry and I never wanted this to happen. It was a total accident, and I swear I'll fix it—"_

_Ash placed his index finger over my lips gingerly. I let out a rush of wind and took a deep breath._

"_I used your fishing pole and accidentally broke your lure," I confessed, looking down at my hands in my lap. I couldn't bear to look up at him, fearful of his reaction._

"_Okay," he said simply, returning to his task at hand._

"_Okay?" I looked up at him, "_okay?!_"_

_He chuckled at my semi-hysterics, "Well what were you expecting me to say?"_

_I was completely and utterly awestruck. Never in a million years would I think this would be the reaction that came out of Ash when I broke something of his. I was expecting some sort of smug '_can't bug me for your bike if you break my things_' rant. But not him saying '_okay_.'_

"_I don't know," I said, dumbfounded, "yelling maybe? Some sort of anger or smugness."_

"_Would you like me to be mad at you?" he offered, "would that make you feel better?"_

_I opened my mouth to answer, then shut it again when I didn't really have anything to say. I didn't know what to say to him. I didn't prepare for this reaction._

"_No," I said, shocked, "I just…"_

"_I'm not 10 anymore Misty," he smiled at me._

_Didn't I know it. _

"_I know," I said, relieved. _

_Pulling my hand out from behind my back, I reached out for his fishing pole and pulled in the lure. Turning away from Ash, I hid the line while I worked on tying and untying. When I was done, I released the pole and watched as his eyes settled on its new lure._

_It was a mini figurine of me, and it was the best lure I'd ever had. It attracted more Pokémon than a regular lure and was even stronger. With that lure, it would never break._

"_I've had that for the longest time," I smiled fondly at the little figurine, "it was given to me by my sisters before I left on my own journey. I used it to catch almost all of my first Pokémon and was extremely happy with it._

"_It's extra strong, works much better than a regular lure, and was fashioned from such a material that it will never scratch, wear down, or break. Take good care of it Ash." I glanced over at him._

_The expression on his face, I couldn't pinpoint. But I didn't have to when two arms were suddenly encircling my frame. I laughed, returning his embrace, holding him close._

"_Thank you Misty."_

"_Anytime Ash."_

* * *

Standing outside of Ash's house a week after taking the pregnancy test, I was never more scared in my life. I didn't know if what I was doing was right, but I knew I had to do it.

Gary wanted me to, and deep down, I did too.

I walked up to the front door and knocked. Delia answered the door, a solemn expression overtaking her features as she acknowledged my presence. She pulled me into a loose embrace.

"How are you dear?" she asked, looking at my face.

"At peace," I told her truthfully, "Gary is, and so am I. He just wants me to be happy."

A smile overtook her features, "Yes, Professor Oak told me about that."

My stomach dropped, "He tell you anything else?"

Delia laughed, "I knew there was something else, but he insisted he couldn't say. He said you'd tell me if you felt it was the right thing to do at the right time."

She invited me in to the house and I complied, stepping into the front hallway. Closing the door behind me we made our way into the kitchen and sat down, Mr. Mime bringing us cups of tea.

"Well," I said slowly, stirring my ice cube into the steaming water, "I'm pregnant."

A wide grin spread over Delia's features, "Oh my goodness Misty, that's great."

Her enthusiasm exerted a grin from me, "Yeah, it is."

"Ash will be home in a few minutes if you want to wait in his room."

My head cocked to the side, "How did you—"

Delia just chuckled, "I know how you feel about Ash regardless of what you say. I know you loved Gary, but you love Ash too. Unfortunately, because he disappeared on you, I think that caused you to forget or suppress your emotions until he returned and you started spending more time together.

"Gary could see it too. It didn't make him mad, he knew you would never act on it, but he also acknowledged the special bond between you two.

"He came to me one day while you weren't with him and spoke to me about what he wanted for you should he ever pass. He knows you love Ash, and he's not telling you to move on right away, but he does want you to be happy.

"So don't fight what you feel Misty," Delia concluded, "not just because Ash is my son, but because we all know you deserve to be happy more than anything. Ash makes you happy, so let him in, and you won't regret it."

I stood up from the table, hugging Delia to me tight.

"Thanks so much," I whispered, tears falling silently down my cheeks.

Pulling back, I headed for the stairs and up to Ash's room.

Where everything was packed into boxes.

"What the hell?" My brow furrowed as I walked around the room. It was completely clean, brown boxes stacked on top of each other and labelled. The floor was completely clear and vacuumed, the walls completely bare. The only thing that was out of place was a small piece of paper on top of the box stack.

My stomach dropped.

I walked over and fingered the folded sheet carefully, running my thumb over the indent from the pen. I opened the paper one fold at a time, slowly, carefully.

Tears sprung to my eyes as I smoothed out the sheet.

_**No matter what, take care of her. Even if she pushes you away.**_

I stepped back, feeling for the bed and sitting down, tears falling down my face.

"It _was_ him," I said in awe, a huge smile crossing my features as I began to cry.

"It was him."

I began to laugh while the tears streamed down my face. I couldn't explain the overwhelming amount of happiness that was building up inside of me as the knowledge of what just happened washed over me.

I pulled out my phone and called Professor Oak.

"Just thought I'd let you know it's confirmed," I laughed through my tears.

"Thank you Misty," he whispered through the phone before we both hung up simultaneously.

I lay back on Ash's bottom bunk, holding the note to my chest. Letting out a huge breath, I moved my hands down to settle over my stomach.

"You are going to be just like your father," I whispered, "I can feel it."

It was then I heard footsteps enter the room. Glancing over, I saw Ash enter while pulling a shirt over his head. Opening a box and tossing in the wife beater, he pulled out his signature black T-shirt. If I was being completely honest with myself, it made me the slightest bit sad to see him put a shirt on.

Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones.

"Maybe you should be a stripper," I teased, weaving my fingers together behind my head, using them as extra support. I saw Ash jump and knock his head off the other side of the bunk beds. Rubbing his head gingerly, he glared at me.

"Maybe you shouldn't be in my room when I'm changing."

Pulling myself out from under the top bed, I sat at the edge of the structure. Ash came to sit down next to me, manoeuvring his way around the boxes.

"I came to tell you something."

Ash waited intently. That was something he was really good at, waiting in silence until I was ready to tell him what was going on.

"Gary came to me in a dream last week."

I glanced over at Ash. His expression was unchanged.

"Everything he was telling me made so much sense. He showed me a possible future and then explained his whole situation. I wanted so badly to believe him and believe it was real instead of some mental longing," I sighed, pulling the piece of paper.

"And until he told me about a piece of paper he told the doctors to give to you, I didn't think it would be possible for me to confirm it," I unfolded the sheet again, holding it with both hands. "He told me what it said, and when I found it in your room, I couldn't believe it."

Ash looked over at me in awe, drawing me into his side. I turned sideways, hugging him. His arms encased my small frame, pulling me to him tightly, his warmth radiating through my body to my very core. I was now sitting in his lap with my legs wrapped securely around his waist and my arms around his neck. I rested my cheek on his shoulder, looking slightly downward.

"Ash," I took a deep breath, "I have to tell you something. If it makes you want to run, then okay. I accept that. But I really hope it doesn't. I'm so sorry for blaming you and disappearing on you without speaking to you for over a month."

I felt Ash nod against my shoulder.

"I'm pregnant."

I felt Ash still and release his grip on me. His hands came up to cradle my face, and I opened my azure eyes to gaze into his chocolate brown ones.

"Misty," Ash said softly, wiping the tears from my cheeks, "that's amazing."

His eyes were smiling along with his lips. The only emotion I could detect under them was genuine happiness. There was no disgust or anger in his expression, and upon realizing that, I smiled back.

The feeling that stirred within my stomach and chest allowed me to release a huge breath. I panted, relieved at his response.

"Really?" I asked, breathless.

"Really." He assured me, pulling me to him. My arms hung loosely around his shoulders as I was still in shock at his reaction. When it finally settled in what he had said, I pulled him tighter. Ash moved to stand up, taking me with him and wrapping his arms securely around my waist, gripping my hips with his hands.

"I'm not going anywhere Misty," he whispered against my neck, "and not just because Gary asked me to.

"You are my best friend Misty, and I care for you more than you will ever know. I will always be here for you, and never again will I run from you. You will have a hard time getting rid of me for any circumstance Mist," he told me. I hugged him tighter, resting comfortably in his arms.

"Good," I whispered, unwrapping my legs and letting myself down. Ash readjusted his arms so he was still holding me. I still had my hands locked around his neck as I stretched up on my toes to kiss the corner of his mouth gently.

I felt his lips on my forehead and I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling.

When I finally pulled away, Ash took the paper from my hands and folded it, setting it in my front pocket gently.

"It's yours," he smiled, "keep it."

I looked up at Ash, then over to the boxes.

"Moving I assume?" I asked, and Ash chuckled.

"Into the house right next to yours actually," he rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed, "I figured if you weren't going to let me in, I might as well make myself comfortable while letting you know I wasn't going anywhere."

I went to pick up a box but Ash snatched it out of the way before I could.

"Hey!" I protested.

"The pregnant girl is not allowed to heavy lift," he teased, nudging the door open with his foot. I followed him as he made his way to the stairs, descending.

"I'm not that far along yet Ash," I grumbled, running to get the front door. He set the box down on a large dolly before returning to his room for the next one.

"Regardless," he began, climbing back up the stairs and into his room, "I'm not taking that chance."

I rolled my eyes, "Then how am I supposed to help?

Ash smiled at me as he picked up the next box, "You can help me unpack and organize if you'd like."

"That's all you're going to let me do isn't it?"

We were at the dolly by now, and after setting the box down all Ash did was raise an eyebrow at me.

"Do you even have to ask?"

I glared, "Stupid Ashyboy."

He returned the glare and took a step closer to me, "What did you just call me?"

I retreated from his advancing steps, "You heard me," I teased. Ash reached for me as I turned and bolted back into his house and up the stairs. He caught me and pressed me up against the wall, tickling me lightly.

"Okay," I protested, "I'm sorry!" I couldn't stop laughing, pleading for him to stop. When his did eventually cease his attack, were both panting heavily, inches away from each other. Looking from his eyes to his lips, I gave in to my heart and kissed him.

One, lingering kiss.

"Let's get going," I smiled, ducking out from under his arm and into his room. Following behind him as he loaded the last few boxes onto the dolly, we made sure they were completely secure before working our way up the street.

* * *

"_It's been a few months Misty."_

"_I still feel so guilty Gary," I told him, resting my cheek against his chest._

"_You shouldn't," he smiled down at me._

"_I still do though," I sighed, looking down._

_Gary tilted my chin up so I was looking at him._

"_I love you so much Misty, and that will never change. I want you to be with him, I want for you to be able to tell him about me visiting you. I want him to be able to be a father to my son," his hands settled over my stomach. Miraculously, at four months, I still wasn't showing._

"_But—" Gary cut me off._

"_I have to leave now Misty," he told me, glancing up at the sky, "I'm not even really supposed to be here talking to you. I'm breaking so many rules."_

"_I don't want you to go," I told him._

"_I'll never be gone Mist," he smiled at me, "I'll always be with you." He rubbed my stomach before kissing me one last time._

_Then he was gone._

* * *

I hadn't kissed Ash since he had me against the wall around two months ago. We'd spent every day together since, fixing up Ash's new house. We unpacked what we could, painted walls, rearranged furniture, did his laundry etc.

And each and every day, my feelings grew stronger.

Gary wanted me to move on, and the part of me that was holding on to him couldn't move on with Ash. But I knew that was what I needed, but above all else…

…it was what I wanted.

And with Gary's final blessing, I knew that it's what he wanted for me too. I pulled off my covers, still in my pyjamas and walked down the steps. Opening the front door, I strode over to Ash's house, ringing the doorbell frantically.

A sleepy Ash came to the door, wearing only boxers. I swallowed heavily, maintaining my composure.

"I love you Ash," I told him.

"I know Mist," he yawned, "I love you too."

"No Ash," I sighed, "I mean I _love_ you."

I saw the recognition settle over his face.

"Misty, I don't want to be your rebound, it's not fair to you—" I cut him off.

"No Ash, I love you, a part of me always has. Maybe I always did," I thought, "but the day I knew for sure was when I slapped you for acting like you were choking.

"And that kiss under the mistletoe was when I fell completely in love with you. I had to work even harder to conceal my emotions from you. Didn't work so well with Brock though, he knew I think before I did.

"I loved Gary, I did, I still do. But he said this to me, and I knew a part of him was right, I think that's why I've been resisting. I don't want to forget him, but with this little guy on the way," I ran my hands over my stomach, "I know I won't. He told me I will love you more than I ever loved him, and that scared me.

"I don't know if you feel the same way Ash, but—" I was suddenly cut off.

By warm lips on mine.

Fire erupted in my stomach as Ash wrapped his arms around me and lifted me up. My legs wrapped around his waist as he stepped back into his house and shut the front door.

His lips were moving with mine, softly, slowly, igniting a fire within me that I never wanted to extinguish. His hands moved up and down my waist, causing me to shudder. I raked my nails down his bare shoulder blades, evoking a growl from his throat. I smiled into his kiss, I loved getting reactions like that out of him.

I moved my hands over his shoulders and to his chest as he pressed me between him and the wall, not breaking the kiss. I raked my nails down his chest, certainly leaving a few red streaks on his skin. I felt him press me into the wall harder, moving his lips to my neck as he ground against me.

"I've loved you for so long Misty," he whispered against my neck as I closed my eyes, loving the feel of him against me, "you have no idea how long I've wanted to hear that from you."

Short exhales of air escaped my lips at each contact between the two of us, I couldn't take it anymore. After all this time, he needed to be closer to me.

"Bed," I gasped, and I didn't need to tell him twice.

He set me down on the bed gently, hovering above me. I unbuttoned my top first, grateful for the first time in a long time I wasn't wearing a bra. My chest was becoming more tender with the pregnancy, and I couldn't stand to wear my bras, they were all too small for me.

Ash's hands moved from my waist up to my chest, tracing the mounds delicately. At the contact I pulled him closer, bare skin against bare skin.

I couldn't get enough of it.

He kissed me again as I shimmied completely out of the shirt. I reached for his boxers, pulling them out from his hips. I was able to fit the band between two of my toes as I pulled them down, flinging them across the room to the floor. My hands returned to his back, arching my own to him as he pulled down my pyjama pants.

He broke away from me and looking into my eyes asked an unspoken question.

"Yes," I answered, wrapping a leg around him as he entered me.

A long 'ah,' escaped my lips as he filled me, stretching and striking nerves within me I'd never felt before. I couldn't form a coherent thought, all I could think of was my skin, his skin, and the overwhelming ecstasy that was running through my body.

I used my heel to pull him deeper.

At that motion my hands found their place on his bedpost to keep me in place as he pulled back and thrust forward again. Resting the bridge of my nose in the crook of his neck, I closed my eyes tight as he began moving faster.

"Oh Ash," I moaned, the most amazing feeling building in my lower abdomen. I felt his hands move to the headboard as I moved mine back to his shoulders, clawing him closer to me. With each thrust I exhaled another small gasp of ecstasy. I bit my lip as I could barely contain myself.

"Oh god Misty," Ash whispered, doubling his speed and depth. I began to feel him in the pit of my stomach.

"So close Ash," I whispered as he captured my lips again, kissing me chastely.

We began to move more fervently, more in sync. Harder, deeper, faster as we began to build to the point of no return with each other.

Our bodies convulsed together as we unraveled, waves flooding through our bodies. Moving together, we rode out the ecstasy that was consuming our cores. I clutched at Ash's back as one of his hands moved to my waist, pulling me closer and tighter to him as he dug deep.

We began to slow, panting hard. We rolled over so I was on top of him, a huge grin plastered on both of our faces.

"Wow," Ash exhaled rubbing his hands up and down my back tenderly, tickling my sides. This kind of tickling I could take, this kind, I loved. It was a form of contact I couldn't get enough of.

I laughed heartily against Ash's bare chest, fully appreciating his physique.

"Wow is right," I smiled.

* * *

**Alright, so I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I hope I've lived up to your expectations.**

**Two chapters left!**

**The more you review, the faster I write!**

**Review!**

**H**


	9. Epilogue

**Sorry I didn't update sooner, I had a difficult day yesterday and couldn't get to the computer or make myself write.**

**Thank you so much for your support. This is the EPILOGUE!**

**Stay tuned for a special bonus chapter! :)**

**H**

* * *

**Epilogue:**

* * *

**MPOV**

"Mommy! Daddy! Mommy! Daddy! Wake up!"

A very small person was jumping on my bed, effectively replacing my alarm clock for the day. I felt movement next to me, rolling over, but unfortunately, the small person decided to crawl up and pull our covers away.

"Get uuuuup," she pouted, staring at us expectantly.

This little girl was going to be the death of me.

"Okay Ashy baby," I said sitting up, "what is it?"

"Come on!" she ran out into the hall and I heard her bound down the steps. "Gary! They're up!"

"That little girl is going to be the death of me," a deep voice rumbled from beside me.

I laid back down and rolled over onto his chest, "My thoughts exactly."

One brown eye peeked open and peered down at me, "Morning beautiful."

I kissed him once lightly, "Morning Ash."

I pulled myself out of bed and threaded a bra through my shirt. Once doing the clasp up, I pulled the covers away from Ash and tossed a shirt at him.

"We better get downstairs," I told him, picking up the clothing from our…activities the night before.

"How much trouble can an 8 and 6 year old do?"

I turned to Ash, a smug look on my face, "Ash, if you have to ask that, you're in big trouble."

Taking my look in, he quickly pulled the shirt over his head. As I threw the clothes in the hamper, he pulled the duvet back up, making the bed.

I waited for him, extending my hand to his. He threaded his fingers through mine as I opened the cracked door wider and made our way down the hall.

Whispers echoed up from the kitchen and we stopped to eavesdrop.

"Think she'll like it?" I heard Ashley ask.

"Absolutely," Gary told her, "we did a great job."

"Think she'll be surprised?"

"I think so," I heard a smile in his voice, "you did a great job on your part Ash, this was a great idea."

My heart melted at the conversation between the two.

Gary had grown up so fast, I couldn't believe how big and mature he had gotten over the years. I had never lied to him about who his father was, he knew about where his name came from, and he still loved Ash and chose to call him dad.

A few years after having Gary, I got pregnant with Ashley. I was scared, but with Ash with me, I knew that we'd be okay. I was so excited to be having a girl, and—wanting to keep the 'name after father' thing going—decided to name her Ashley. Ash for short. It was funny when you'd call one of them, and both of their heads would snap up in sync.

Ashley had Ash's raven hair, it was extremely long, about halfway down her back. She had my eyes, the same as Gary's, that was the only similarity between the two of them.

But they absolutely loved each other. They were each other's best friends, they did everything together. They studied Pokémon, especially Pikachu, played out in the yard, went swimming etc.

The close relationship they had was what I never had, and had always wanted.

And I was so grateful for them having it.

Ash and I finished walking down the stairs and I stopped in awe.

There were two mountains of pancakes, syrup, whip cream, eggs, bacon, toast, orange juice, waffles and even strawberries lining the dining room table. There were plates and place mats set in front of the chairs, with cutlery. There were a few cards piled on one plate, and in the center of the table was a large cake.

"Happy Birthday Mommy!" Ashley yelled, running for my legs and hugging me tight. I picked her up and kissed her forehead, brushing her hair back from her face.

"Thank you so much Ashy," I told her, kissing her once more before setting her down. Gary was right behind her and wrapped his arms around my stomach, pressing his ear to my torso.

"Happy Birthday Mom," he told me. I rested a hand in his hair, running it over his scalp. He had the same spiky hair as his father. Tilting his head back to look at me, I kissed his forehead too.

"Thank you Gary," I whispered, before he pulled back and went to sit at the table.

I looked over to Ash and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Shhhhh," he whispered in my ear, "they did this _all_ themselves."

He gave me a knowing glance before kissing my neck and joining the kids at the table. I took my seat and picked up the cards that were on my plate. Reading through each of them, tears pricked my eyes as love swelled in my chest. I was so grateful for my family.

There was an extra note at the bottom of Ash's card.

_**I have the day off work, I have a surprise for you.**_

I smiled up at him and he winked. I laughed lightly before turning around and setting the cards on the table behind me.

"Let's eat," I announced, and the kids immediately began piling food onto their plates.

There wasn't much talking from then on out. Like her father, Ashley had the habit of shovelling food into her mouth at an alarmingly fast pace, and her stomach too seemed to be bottomless. Gary was more like me, he would take his time and could consume almost the same amount.

When we were done devouring almost all of the food, Ashley handed her father a lighter and Ash lit the candles on the cake. They began to sing, and looking around the table at my family, I couldn't imagine things getting any better.

"Make a wish babe," he told me and I stared at the flames.

Blowing out the candles, they all clapped. The two kids reached for the cake.

"Ah ah ah," I warned, and they retreated their hands.

"Mooooom!" they whined, looking at me with 'the eyes.'

"Go get ready for school and I'll pack pieces of cake in your lunch," I smiled at them, and their eyes immediately lit up.

They both grinned at me widely, bounding up the steps and into their respective rooms. Ash and I began to clear the dishes from the table, and after I packed a piece of cake into each of their lunches for the day.

I felt two warm arms wrap themselves around my waist, "Have I told you lately how much I love you?"

I leaned back against his chest, and where my neck was exposed, his lips began working wonders.

"Mmmm," I smiled, "maybe you should show me instead."

He grazed his teeth along my neck, "I'll have to show you later then."

I pulled out of his intoxicating embrace, finishing up the lunches and sticking them in their designated backpacks. Holding both of them by the handles, they both bounded down the stairs to take them from me.

"Clean underwear?" I asked.

"Check," they chorused.

"Hair brushed?"

"Check."

"Teeth brushed?"

"Check."

"Hug?"

They both laughed and hugged me at the same time. Kissing them both, they went to their father, hugging him too. I opened the door for them just as the bus drove up.

"Be good!" Ash called, and they both looked back.

"Bye Dad! By Mom! Love you! Happy Birthday!"

I watched them as they disappeared in the bus around the corner before sighing and closing the door. Ash was suddenly on me like clockwork, pushing me up against the wall like he had all those years ago.

"God I love this wall," I groaned.

He chuckled against my skin, "We can't start now, I have somewhere I want to take you."

I whined in protest, but he couldn't be budged.

"Come on Misty, go get dressed."

I sighed, stomping up the stairs and throwing day clothes on. Tossing the others in the hamper, I pulled some flip flops on and walked back down to Ash.

"Alright oh mighty Ash," I mocked, "where shall you be taking me today?"

He chuckled, "You'll love it, I promise."

I suddenly felt a blindfold over my eyes.

"Hey!"

"It's a surprise," he laughed.

"You and your surprises," I grumbled, letting him lead me out of the house.

He talked to me the whole way, guiding me over gravel, across sidewalks, around trees, and over grass. I had absolutely no idea where we were until he stopped me and took off the blindfold.

I was standing in the same spot I was around 8 and a half years ago, in front of a hot air balloon.

"Oh Ash," I breathed, looking up at him. He smiled down at me, pulling me up into the basket with him. Adjusting the fire again, he lifted us into the air, even higher than before.

Just before I could shiver, he reached down and pulled up a sweater, wrapping it around my shoulders.

"Man you really thought of everything didn't you?" I laughed, and he smiled, kissing me slowly.

"I just wanted to give you a happy memory in the air balloon," he told me, and I leaned into his side.

The sun was low in the sky, just rising above the tree line. The shadows of the trees were long, and the river glistened. Fish jumped out, playing in the waves, and the only sound that could be heard was the splashing, flowing water, and wind running over my ears.

"I used to fly up here when I was younger," he recounted, deep in thought.

"You don't anymore?" I asked.

He smiled, lost in thought, "I did it because it was elating. It was something to escape from day to day life when I was missing you and focused on the road. My mind would clear, all I would hear was the wind and water. It was bliss."

"So why did you stop?" I asked, looking up at him.

He glanced down at me, "Because I have you."

I looked down, blushing, "Suckup."

Ash let out a hearty laugh.

"What?" I asked.

"You still don't see yourself clearly," he smiled down at me. Those words rang in my ear, and I remembered Brock saying them back when I was on the road with Ash.

"You been talking to Brock?" I asked, squinting my eyes in a mock glare. Ash just brushed the hair out of my face, trailing his fingertips over my skin.

"He may have mentioned a few things," he evaded my question, brushing a lock behind my ear. I leaned into his palm, bringing my hand up to weave my fingers through his. I just stood there, breathing.

"I love this," I whispered, as he pulled me into him.

"Me too," he said softly, "I can't get enough."

"Me neither," I smiled a small smile.

We stood in silence as we floated above the ground, feeling weightless and separate from the world. It was like our own personal heaven. Just the two of us, nothing to worry about.

"Mist," Ash started, "I want you to know something."

I looked up at him, and his jaw was set, he was nervous about something.

"Okay," I drawled, suddenly a bit anxious.

"I love you," he began, "I love you more than words can say, they just aren't enough. Nothing could ever change the way I feel about you, and I will take whatever I can get with you.

"When you came to me, pregnant, I honestly didn't care. I would help you raise that kid, I love Gary like he's my own, because he is. Maybe not by blood, but it isn't blood that makes someone a dad.

"And when you got pregnant with Ashley, I didn't think I could take anymore happiness. I thought I was going to explode. I didn't care what others thought, but I know how people think, and I know the doubts that form.

"I want you to know that I'm doing this because I love you, and not because of our kids, or us living together, or any way out of obligation," he pulled away and dropped to one knee.

"Misty, I want you to marry me because I couldn't imagine a second of my life without you in it, and I refuse to lose you again," he looked up at me, smiling, opening the box. It was a solitary karat diamond in a silver band. Simple, and yet absolutely stunning.

Tears escaped my eyes, flowing down my cheeks.

"Yes," I laughed through the tears, "a hundred times yes!"

He slid the ring on my finger, a perfect fit and stood up to wrap his arms around me. I held him close to me, kissing him.

"God I love you," I whispered against his lips, kissing him again. I felt him smile as he pulled away, resting his forehead against mine.

"I never tire of hearing you say that."

After standing there awhile longer, Ash lowered us to the ground. Helping me out, he hopped out beside me, taking my hands in his. We began to walk back to the road and continue in the opposite direction of our house.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"I figured you'd want to talk to someone," Ash explained as we rounded a corner and came upon the cemetery.

Looking over to Ash I kissed him once, "Thank you."

I walked into the cemetery, dropping Ash's hand. Finding Gary's gravestone, I found flowers already on the grave from Ash. I didn't know what I did to deserve someone like him.

Sitting in front of the stone, I began to trace the letters, feeling the rough stone beneath my fingertips.

"I miss you every day," I whispered, but no tears came this time, "I know you're in a better place."

"Gary is looking more and more like you every day," I laughed, "he knows everything about you, I make sure to tell him everything. Even if you're not here, he loves you, loves who you were, and talks to you every night.

"Ashley knows about you too," I recounted, running my fingers over the smooth marble, "she wishes she could have met you. But if she had the chance she wouldn't be here in the first place.

"Gary, I don't think I could thank you enough for coming into my life. I hate how your physical life here had to end before you were able to experience more life, but I know it was for a reason. I wouldn't be with Ash otherwise, and I wouldn't have Ashley.

"I love them more than words can say, and for giving them to me, for encouraging me, I can't thank you enough. I am grateful to you every day that you pushed me to be with him, because I can without a doubt say I've never been happier." I ran my full palm over the stone, wind rushed over my cheeks, burning them.

"Brock is so happy to be an Uncle," I told him, "he moved here permanently a few years back, and his siblings drop in from time to time to visit. They love him and miss him so much, but they're all on their way to finding their place in the world.

"I know your grandfather passed a few years back, and I hope you two are up there having the time of your lives. He was here to see Gary and be with him as well as Ashley. I'm sure he's told you story after story, and I hope he's well too.

"Delia has made the restaurant a huge success, we have costumers coming in from all around the region just to taste Brock's food. They come for their Pokémon too, Brock has a knack for that. She has been doing extremely well, still extremely upset over the Professor, but she knows he's with you in a better place.

"Overall, we miss you, we love you, and I hope you're doing well. Find some pretty face up there to fall in love with, you deserve just as much happiness there as I have here.

"I love you," I whispered, standing up and touching the stone one more time.

Turning around, I walk back to the house, smiling the whole way. Twirling the ring on my finger, I couldn't feel any form of sadness anymore.

I had truly let him go.

I deserved that, he deserved that, we all deserved to be happy. I know he was somewhere amazing, and I could take comfort in that.

"Come eat some cake," Ash called as I walked in the front door. Striding into the kitchen, I took the plate he was offering me. I jumped up on the counter, stabbing a large chunk and stuffing it in my mouth.

"Oh my _god_," I moaned, "where did you get this?"

Ash smiled, "I made it."

My eyes widened, "No way."

"Yes way," he chuckled, eating another bite of his own, "Brock has been teaching me some tricks, and I've been working on this for weeks just for you."

I reached out with my legs to draw him in. Wrapping them securely around his waist, I pulled him to me, cake still in hand.

"Thank you," I whispered, kissing him lightly.

"Anytime," he told me, kissing me again.

"You taste like cake," I laughed, and Ash couldn't help but join in.

"Gee," he said sarcastically, "I wonder why."

Laughing, he kissed me again.

"Thank you so much for slapping me," he whispered against my lips. I recoiled from him, confused as to why he would say that.

"Huh?"

He smiled, "If you hadn't slapped me, I don't think we'd be here right now."

Mulling that over, I realized he was probably right.

"Always happy to cause you physical pain," I lured, biting his ear lightly. I felt him shudder, and at our close proximity, it wasn't hard to tell he liked it.

Pun very intended.

"Why don't we go do the exact opposite?" he suggested, setting our cake down and picking me up. I let out a small growl in his ear.

"Think you can handle it?"

* * *

**Thank you so much for sticking with this story everyone, please leave a review and let me know if it lived up to your expectations.**

**STAY TUNED FOR A BONUS CHAPTER! **

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	10. Bonus

**I'm so sorry to keep you all waiting, I've just been under so much stress and so much school that I have had absolutely no time to write another chapter.**

**It's short, but it's sweet, and I thank you all for sticking with me through this. **

**I will write more when I can, but until then, happy reading :)**

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**Lllllllllllllllll**

**GPOV**

"Do you want to give these to daddy?"

Misty smiled down at her brown-haired son, smoothing his locks down. He smiled up at her, nodding his head, taking the bouquet from her hands and laying them on my grave.

"She made sure he knew who I was," I said, my grandfather walking up beside me.

"That's who she is Gary," he smiled, "she really is an amazing person."

Her head snapped up at the sound of Ash and she walked over to him, out of sight for a moment as I approached him. He looked up, eyes seeing me.

"Dad?"

I smiled, walking over to him and kneeling so I was at eye level with him, "Hey kiddo."

"Mom made sure I always knew who you were," he smiled, "even though Ash is my living dad, you're my dad too." The smile on his face made my heart melt. He was a reflection of me at his age, though his eyes gleamed with Misty's spirit.

"You taking care of your mom for me?" I asked.

He nodded his head vigorously, "I help all the time and take care of Ashley."

"Good," I grinned, hugging him to me, "I have to go now. Be good, and thank your dad for me?"

He nodded, hugging me as tight as he could before I slipped through his fingers, invisible and intangible again.

"Love you dad," he whispered.

**Lllllllllllllllllllll**

**Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews, they really kept me going and I'm so sorry for not writing this sooner, my parents are getting a divorce, I've been packing up my house, and I've been finishing up school as well. Thank you all for bearing with me, and stick around for my next story :)**

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